South Africa’s African National Congress would “immediately” lose 20% of voter support if President Cyril Ramaphosa resigns, according to findings based on an internal poll, underscoring his popularity despite a scandal that threatened to derail his political career.
(Bloomberg) — South Africa’s African National Congress would “immediately” lose 20% of voter support if President Cyril Ramaphosa resigns, according to findings based on an internal poll, underscoring his popularity despite a scandal that threatened to derail his political career.
Ramaphosa won re-election as head of the ANC in December just weeks after an independent panel denounced his handling of the theft of foreign currency that was stuffed in a sofa at his game farm. The scandal raised concerns that he would quit as head of state and step aside as party leader if found guilty of bringing the organization into disrepute.
A poll conducted by the governing party found that Ramaphosa has a popularity rating of 68% by South African voters, compared with 60% for the party, ANC Chairman Gwede Mantashe said in an interview on Friday. “He is more popular than the party in terms of the latest statistics.”
It also showed that without Ramaphosa as its face, the party would get 40% of the ballots in next year’s national elections and 48% with him, as he continues to be a calling card with voters despite his reputation taking a knock over the scandal, he said.
The results are similar to a survey of 3,200 registered voters that was carried out by the Social Research Foundation in July and released two days before the panel issued its report. It found that support for the ANC could collapse to between 30% and 40% should Ramaphosa leave the party.
Read more: ANC to Hemorrhage Support If Cyril Ramaphosa Quits, Survey Shows
Support for the 110-year-old ANC, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994, dropped below 50% for the first time in a local government vote in 2021, and several opinion polls show it’s in danger of losing its national majority in 2024.
Confidence in the party has been eroded by its failure to head off an energy crisis and stem an economic decline that’s spawned rampant unemployment, inequality and crime.
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