Elected without a vote, Ramaphosa becomes South Africa’s new president

A renowned trade union leader, businessman and negotiator, Ramaphosa has held many top business positions in the country, including the Chairman of the Board of MTN. He ran for president in 1997 but lost to Thabo Mbeki.

He was appointed Deputy President by Jacob Zuma on May 25, 2014, and was made the leader of Government Business in the National Assembly.

In 2017, Ramaphosa announced that he would be contesting for president at the expiration of Zuma’s tenure, and in December of that year, he was elected President of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) at the party’s 54th Elective Conference, defeating Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, ex-wife of President Zuma, by 2440 votes to 2261.

Zuma resigned on Wednesday after a nine-year reign splotched by allegations of corruption and economic downturn.

During an interview on Wednesday, Zuma said he had been treated very unfairly by a party he joined almost six decades ago and in which he fought against white-minority rule.