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Race Tight as South Africa's ANC Prepares to Elect Zuma Successor

by Reuters

   JOHANNESBURG --

   South Africa's ruling African National Congress holds an election this
   weekend to replace Jacob Zuma as party leader in a closely fought
   contest whose winner is likely to emerge as the nation's next
   president.

   The front-runners are Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade
   union leader and one of South Africa's richest people, and Zuma's
   preferred candidate, his ex-wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former
   minister and chairwoman of the African Union Commission.

   In a race seen as too close to call, seven candidates are seeking to
   succeed Zuma, who has been at the helm of the party for a decade.

   The stakes are high because the ANC's electoral dominance means whoever
   wins the party's top job is likely become the next president of South
   Africa after a national election in 2019.

   The party holds its conference in Johannesburg between Dec. 16-20.

   All seven ANC leadership hopefuls pledged to Zuma at a meeting last
   month that they would accept the outcome of the leadership vote in the
   interests of keeping the 105-year-old organization intact and avoid
   splits that could weaken its strength at the national elections in
   2019.

   Ramaphosa edged Dlamini-Zuma by getting the majority of nominations to
   become leader of the party, but the complexity of the leadership race
   means it is far from certain he will become the next party leader and
   therefore the likely next president.

   Adding another level of complexity, delegates are not bound to vote for
   the candidate their ANC branch nominated.

   Zuma said last week he was "very happy" to be stepping down as ANC
   president. He can remain as head of state until 2019.

   Political uncertainty over the ANC race is a major threat to the
   country's credit rating. S&P Global Ratings and Fitch rate South
   Africa's debt as "junk."

   Analysts have said South Africa's business and consumer confidence has
   been dented in recent years by allegations of corruption in Zuma's
   government and influence-peddling by the Gupta family -- businessmen
   who are close friends of the president. Zuma and the Guptas have denied
   the allegations.

   Ramaphosa is viewed as more investor friendly, and has pledged to fight
   the corruption that has plagued Zuma's tenure.

   Dlamini-Zuma has said she is not tainted by graft and it is fine if the
   country's white business community will not endorse her. She has said
   her priority is to improve the prospects for the black majority.