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Author: Emmanuel Yashim

  • Another cargo ship seized on suspicion of violating UN sanctions on N/Korea

    Another cargo ship seized on suspicion of violating UN sanctions on N/Korea

    File photo shows a cargo ship, DEYI, on March 30, 2024, in waters off Yeosu committing alleged activities in violation of UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. (Yonhap).

    Seizure

    Busan (South Korea), June 20, 2024 (Yonhap/NAN) South Korea seized a 2,900-ton cargo ship near the Korea Strait on Thursday on suspicion of violating UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against North Korea, sources said.

    The foreign-flagged freighter, reportedly carrying coal and iron ore with 10 crewmembers, was en route from Russia to China, presumably via North Korea, when it was seized.

    The vessel is now anchored at an anchorage in Busan on the country’s southeastern coast.

    “With the vessel’s suspected violation of the UNSC sanctions, relevant government agencies are taking necessary steps in line with the international and domestic laws,” the foreign ministry said in response to a Yonhap query about the ship, without providing further details.

    In late March, another 3,000-ton cargo ship, DEYI, which was heading to Vladivostok, Russia, was seized in waters off Yeosu, along the southern coast, under similar suspicions.

    The ship is also currently anchored at the anchorage at Busan Port, with the captain and other crew onboard. (Yonhap/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • S/Korea slams N/Korea-Russia treaty, hints at potential arms supply to Ukraine

    S/Korea slams N/Korea-Russia treaty, hints at potential arms supply to Ukraine

    Condemnation

    Seoul, June 20, 2024 (Yonhap/NAN) The South Korean government on Thursday said it would reconsider its stance on arms supply to Ukraine after North Korea and Russia signed a treaty to mutually provide immediate military assistance if one of them is attacked.

    National Security Advisor Chang Ho-jin also condemned “the comprehensive strategic treaty” signed during the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Wednesday.

    “The government expresses grave concern and condemns the signing of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between North Korea and Russia, which aims to strengthen mutual military and economic cooperation,” Chang said in a press briefing at the presidential office.

    Chang said any cooperation that directly or indirectly aids North Korea’s military enhancement is a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and will be subject to international scrutiny and sanctions, and vowed to take corresponding measures.

    “We plan to reconsider the issue of arms support to Ukraine,” Chang also said, suggesting a shift in South Korea’s policy of not providing lethal aid to Ukraine.

    A presidential official said South Korea will maintain strategic ambiguity regarding the types of weapons that could be supplied to Ukraine.

    “Specific measures will be revealed later, and it will be interesting to see how Russia responds, rather than revealing our plans in advance,” the official told reporters.

    Air defense systems could be on the list as Ukraine is in desperate need of missile shields to counter Russian air strikes, according to government sources.

    South Korea will also slap additional sanctions on four Russian ships, five organizations, and eight individuals involved in the transfer of weapons and oil between Russia and North Korea, Chang said.

    There are 1,159 items subject to export controls to Russia following the Ukraine war, and South Korea will add 243 new items, bringing the total to 1,402 items under sanctions.

    Chang said it is “troubling” that North Korea and Russia, with their history of initiating the Korean War and the Ukraine War, respectively, pledged military cooperation based on the hypothetical scenario of a preemptive attack.

    “This is a fallacious and irrational argument that disregards international responsibility and norms,” he said.

    In light of deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, the government vowed to sternly respond to any security threats in coordination with the international community.

    “We will further strengthen the extended deterrence of the S. Korea-U.S. alliance and the security cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan to deter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” Chang said. (Yonhap/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Israel pounds central Gaza camps, deepens invasion of Rafah

    Israel pounds central Gaza camps, deepens invasion of Rafah

    Pounding

    Cairo, June 20, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Israeli forces pounded areas in the central Gaza Strip overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens of others, according to medics, while tanks deepened their invasion into Rafah in the south, residents said.
    Israeli planes struck a house in Al-Nuseirat camp, killing two people and wounding 12 others, while tanks shelled areas in Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij camps, wounding many other people, health officials said. Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij are three of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps.
    In Deir al-Balah, a city packed with displaced people in the central Gaza Strip, an Israeli air strike killed one Palestinian and wounded several others on Thursday, medics said.
    The Israeli military said on Wednesday forces were continuing their operations across the enclave targeting militants and military infrastructure in what it described as “precise, intelligence-based” activities.
    More than eight months into the war in Gaza, Israel’s advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces had yet to storm: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the centre.
    The operations have forced more than a million people to flee since May, the vast majority already displaced from other parts of the enclave.
    In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, Israeli tanks stationed deep in the western and central areas of the city stepped up bombardment, forcing more families living in the far coastal areas to flee northward. Some residents said the pace of the raid has been accelerated in the past two days.
    “The tanks took control of most of the areas in Rafah. People living by the beach have also started to leave toward Khan Younis and central areas in fear because of the continued bombardment,” said Abu Wasim, a resident from Rafah’s Al-Shaboura neighbourhood, who quit his home over a week ago before tanks rolled in reaching the heart of the city.
    Rafah housed over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people until May 7 when Israeli forces began the ground offensive into the city. Fewer than 100,000 are now believed to be left behind.
    There has been no sign of let-up in the fighting as efforts by international mediators, backed by the United States, have failed to persuade Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.
    The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said fighters battled Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, and have in some areas detonated pre-planted explosive devices against army units.
    On Thursday, Israeli authorities freed 33 Palestinians who had been detained during the past months by Israeli forces in different areas of the enclave.
    The freed detainees were admitted into Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip after they complained of torture and mistreatment by Israeli jailers.
    Israel denies mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.
    Palestinian and international human rights groups have criticised what they say is Israel’s ill-treatment of Gaza detainees and repeatedly demanded it discloses their whereabouts and information about their well-being.
    Israel’s ground and air campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
    The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, killed more than 37,400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and left nearly the entire population homeless and destitute.
    Since a week-long truce in November, repeated attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas insisting on an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will agree only to temporary pauses and will not end the war until Hamas is eradicated and the hostages are freed. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Investors optimistic South Africa’s new govt. can deliver growth-friendly reforms

    Investors optimistic South Africa’s new govt. can deliver growth-friendly reforms

    Optimism

    Johannesburg, June 19, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Investors are optimistic South Africa’s new unity government can deliver stable economic policies to revive growth, but are cautious about how the new coalition’s main partners can reconcile stark ideological differences.
    The African National Congress (ANC) – which has governed since a vote in 1994 that marked the end of apartheid – has struck a deal with the white-led, pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) and smaller parties after failing to win a parliamentary majority in national elections last month.
    The agreement between the ideologically opposed ANC and DA marks a major political shift in the country and paves the way for a Government of National Unity under President Cyril Ramaphosa to bring reforms needed to create economic growth and tackle high levels of unemployment and inequality.
    Investors and credit rating agencies see the two biggest parties in the unity government agreeing on more liberal economic policies, but they could struggle to overcome their ideological differences.
    The ANC, for instance, has increased spending on welfare payments, but the DA had in the run-up to the election pushed to roll back some of them and to scrap some ANC Black empowerment policies.
    The left-leaning Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the party of former president Jacob Zuma, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), will not join the unity government, choosing instead to be part of the opposition alliance.
    “With populist parties choosing to reject the GNU, and the ANC’s bigger partners in the governing coalition centre-leaning and favouring more liberal economic policies, we think the GNU opens the possibility for more growth-friendly structural reforms and prudent macroeconomic policy choices,” HSBC economist David Faulkner said in a note.
    “But the GNU could also face ideological divisions and exacerbate fractures within the ANC, factors that could make establishing a stable policy framework difficult.”
    Among its priorities, the unity government is set to focus on rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, the promotion of fixed capital investment, job creation, land reform, and infrastructure development, the ANC has said.
    “The election outcome is broadly favourable for the economic and fiscal outlook, compared with the alternatives,” S&P Global Ratings said on Tuesday, but it also said the government faces an uphill battle to revive growth and maintain fiscal discipline, while navigating the new realities of coalition politics.
    “Despite the reasonably constructive outcome, significant ideological differences between the ANC and the DA on issues such as affirmative action and foreign policy could destabilise the government,” S&P said.
    Smaller parties in the unity government include the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance.
    Financial markets have welcomed the unity government, with South Africa’s banking index, seen as a gauge of local economic recovery prospects, up 19% since June 7 – when the ANC announced it would seek to form a unity government.
    The rand, one of the few emerging market currencies to chalk up gains since the start of the year, and local government bonds have also reacted positively.
    “The spread between our bonds and U.S. bonds, it’s pretty much back to where it was pre-election,” said Mike van der Westhuizen, portfolio manager at Citadel, a local wealth management firm.
    “That risk premium in bonds is at sort of fair value,” he added.
    Investors anticipate that the unity government will pick up the pace on the ANC’s existing reform plans for electricity, rail and port sectors.
    These are needed to revive an economy that has barely grown in the last decade and has an unemployment rate that is among the highest in the world.
    The DA has endorsed a government programme code-named “Operation Vulindlela”, a Zulu term meaning clear the path, that was initiated in 2020 by the ANC-led government to speed up structural reforms.
    Adam Furlan, emerging markets fixed income portfolio manager at NinetyOne investments – South Africa’s largest asset manager, said the DA’s desire to support the initiative bodes well for policy continuity.
    “We expect that to continue and hopefully at a more brisk pace,” said Furlan.
    Ramaphosa is expected to announce his new cabinet, in consultation with his new coalition partners, a few days after his inauguration on Wednesday.
    Some analysts expressed concern that the ANC is unlikely to give up the key finance portfolio.
    “The best case scenario for asset prices from this point is that DA gets responsibility for finance, public enterprises, and energy, and the worst case, is that their cabinet representation is merely a token one,” Tellimer market research said in a note. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • South Africa’s Ramaphosa vows to fight inequality as power-sharing begins

    South Africa’s Ramaphosa vows to fight inequality as power-sharing begins

    Inequality

    Pretoria (South Africa), June 19, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) A weakened South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged on Wednesday that his new multi-party government would work to improve basic living conditions for all citizens as he was sworn in for a second term in office.
    Ramaphosa’s African National Congress will share power with five other parties after it was humbled in a May 29 election, losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years of democracy.
    The voters “have been unequivocal in expressing their disappointment and disapproval of our performance in some areas where we have failed them,” Ramaphosa said at his inauguration ceremony in the capital Pretoria.
    He said the voters wanted everyone to have enough food, decent homes, clean water, affordable and uninterrupted electricity supply, well-maintained roads, good care for the sick and elderly, quality schools, and other basic services.
    “Today, I stand before you as your humble servant to say we have heard you,” he said.
    “In this moment we must choose to move forward, to close the distances between South Africans and to build a more equal society.”
    The ANC remains the largest party after the election, followed by the pro-business Democratic Alliance, a critic of the ANC’s record in office which has agreed to join the new government.
    While investors have welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which wants to boost growth through structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, analysts say sharp ideological divisions between the parties could destabilise the government.
    Just before the election, Ramaphosa signed into law a National Health Insurance bill that the DA says could collapse a creaking health system. It was unclear what would happen to that law under the new government.
    The DA advocates scrapping the ANC’s flagship Black economic empowerment programme, saying it hasn’t worked — a highly contentious topic in a nation grappling with huge inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.
    Ramaphosa has yet to announce his new government, to be negotiated with members of the new alliance.
    A former liberation movement, the ANC came to power under Nelson Mandela’s leadership in the 1994 elections which marked the end of apartheid and had long been unbeatable.
    However, it lost its shine after presiding over years of decline.
    Weary of high levels of poverty and unemployment, rampant crime, rolling power cuts, and corruption in party ranks, voters punished the ANC, which lost millions of votes on May 29 compared with the previous election in 2019.
    “Our society remains deeply unequal and highly polarised,” Ramaphosa said.
    “We are divided between those who have jobs and those who do not work, between those who have the means to build and enjoy a comfortable life and those who do not.”
    African heads of state and dignitaries from as far afield as Cuba, a historical friend of the ANC, gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of the South African government, to bear witness to Ramaphosa’s inauguration.
    A ceremony full of military pomp and pageantry began with inter-faith prayers by Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and traditional African religious leaders, reflecting the country’s diversity.
    Military helicopters flew past in blazing sunshine, trailing South African flags, to cheers from the audience. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Egypt unlawfully deported Sudanese refugees – Amnesty Int’l

    Egypt unlawfully deported Sudanese refugees – Amnesty Int’l

    Deportation

    Cairo, June 19, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Egypt has carried out mass arrests and unlawful deportations of thousands of refugees fleeing the war in Sudan, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday.
    The rights group said it had documented 12 incidents in which Egyptian authorities returned an estimated total of 800 Sudanese nationals between January and March this year without giving them the chance to claim asylum or challenge deportation decisions.
    It also said it had documented in detail the cases of 27 Sudanese refugees arrested between October 2023 and March 2024, 26 of whom were among those collectively expelled.
    Refugees had been held in cruel conditions ahead of their deportation, it added.
    The total number of arrests and deportations is unclear as there are no publicly available statistics.
    The UN refugee agency said thousands were deported late last year, many of them Sudanese.
    Egypt’s State Information Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    Amnesty International said Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights denied its findings about a rise in the number of arrests and deportations of Sudanese refugees, asserting in a response to the group that authorities respect international law.
    The arrests were part of a campaign starting in September 2023 in which plain-clothes police have made random checks on Black people, arresting those not carrying valid identity documents or residence permits, Amnesty International said.
    The checks happen frequently in the capital Cairo and its sister city of Giza, where large numbers of Sudanese have settled, as well as in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, where many Sudanese refugees stop on their way north.
    The war that erupted in April last year between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has created the world’s biggest displacement crisis, with over nine million fleeing inside Sudan or crossing to neighbouring countries.
    More than 500,000 people, or about 24 per cent of the total who have left Sudan, have crossed to Egypt, according to the International Organization for Migration.
    Less than two months after the war started, Egypt suspended a treaty commitment to visa-free access for Sudanese women, children, and men over 49, slowing entries.
    Arrivals led to occasional tensions, with some Egyptians blaming Sudanese and other foreigners for pushing up rental prices, and Egyptian TV commentators citing the “burden” of millions of migrants at a time of high inflation and economic pressures.
    After Egypt’s foreign currency shortage worsened last year many Africans arrested for not having valid papers were held in squalid conditions and asked to pay fees in dollars to avoid deportation, according to lawyers and witnesses.
    European states see Egypt as an important player in preventing mass migration across the Mediterranean.
    In March, Egypt and the European Union announced a strategic partnership underpinned by 7.4 billion euros of funding, an agreement widely seen as driven by European concerns about migration. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • U.S. wants to avoid ‘greater war’ along Lebanon-Israel border – Envoy

    U.S. wants to avoid ‘greater war’ along Lebanon-Israel border – Envoy

    War

    Beirut, June 18, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) The United States is trying to avert a greater war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said on Tuesday.
    He spoke in the wake of an escalation in cross-border fire between the foes along Lebanon’s southern frontier.
    Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel for the last eight months in parallel with the Gaza war.
     Last week, the group fired the largest volleys of rockets and drones of the hostilities so far at Israeli military sites, after an Israeli strike killed the most senior commander yet.
    Hochstein, special envoy to U.S. President Joe Biden, said he had been dispatched to Lebanon immediately following a brief trip to Israel because the situation was “serious”.
    “We have seen an escalation over the last few weeks. And what President Biden wants to do is avoid a further escalation to a greater war,” Hochstein said on Tuesday.
    He had met the head of Lebanon’s army earlier on Tuesday and spoke to reporters following a meeting with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the armed Amal movement, which is allied to Hezbollah and has also fired rockets on Israel.
    The U.S. and France are engaged in diplomatic efforts to secure a negotiated end to the hostilities along Lebanon’s border.
    Hezbollah says it will not halt its attacks unless there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
    “Whether diplomatically or militarily one way or another, we will ensure the safe and secure return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel.
    “That is not up for negotiation. Oct. 7 cannot happen again anywhere in Israel or on any of Israel’s borders,” Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said.
    He added that Israel was “impeding Hezbollah’s military buildup and their stockpiling of weapons for terror against Israelis”.
    Hezbollah began trading fire with Israel on Oct. 8, a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking the Gaza war.
    Tens of thousands of people have fled both sides of the border.
    Hochstein urged Hamas to accept a U.S.-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which he said “also provides an opportunity to end the conflict across the Blue Line”, a reference to a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel where parts of the international border are disputed.
    Hochstein met caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who told him that “Lebanon does not seek escalation”, according to comments issued by Mikati’s office.
    The increase in attacks last week was followed by a brief respite during the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday, which concludes on Tuesday.
    Hezbollah announced a drone attack against an Israeli tank on Tuesday afternoon – its first announced attack since Saturday.
    The group used more of its extensive arsenal against Israel last week, prompting United Nations officials in Lebanon to warn over the weekend that the “danger of miscalculation leading to a sudden and wider conflict is very real”.
    UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday that he too was worried about the escalation, and called “for a cessation of hostilities and for actors with influence to take all possible measures to avert a full-scale war”. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Putin seen as making crony appointments to defence ministry

    Putin seen as making crony appointments to defence ministry

    Cronies

    Moscow, June 18, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed three new deputy ministers to the country’s defence ministry, including a woman who is believed to be a distant relative.

    Anna Tsivileva, whose maiden name is Putina, is to be responsible for housing construction and social security for members of the armed forces.

    Another new deputy minister, Pavel Fradkov, is the son of former intelligence chief and prime minister Mikhail Fradkov.

    The younger Fradkov is to manage the army’s property and assets.

    The former deputy finance minister Leonid Gorin was appointed as first deputy defence minister by presidential decree.

    According to Russian media research, Tsivileva, 52, is related to the Russian president through her father.

    Her husband is Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev.

    Together they owned a large coal company.

    Both are on the sanctions lists of the European Union, the United Kingdom and other countries because they have profited from their closeness to the Russian government.

    Tsivileva most recently headed a state fund to support the soldiers deployed in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    In a Telegram post, she thanked Putin for the trust and responsibility he had placed in her, the newspaper Izvestia reported on Tuesday.

    At the beginning of his new term of office in May,

    Putin dismissed his long-serving defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

    Several men close to him are being investigated for corruption.

    The Russian president appointed the economic expert Alexander Beloussov as the new defence minister.

    Independent experts cited by Izvestia noted that the new deputy ministers are not part of Beloussov’s team, but rather come from Putin’s immediate circle.

    Economist Konstantin Sonin wrote on X that Putin had “doubled down on loyalists with no expertise or experience in the relevant government positions.” (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • China slams NATO’s Stoltenberg for comments on role in Ukraine war

    China slams NATO’s Stoltenberg for comments on role in Ukraine war

    Criticism

    Beijing, June 18, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed sharp criticism on Tuesday of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s statement that allies in the alliance should impose a cost on China for its support of Russia in the war in Ukraine.

    NATO should engage in self-reflection, rather than smear China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing.

    During a visit to the United States, Stoltenberg said China was ostensibly keeping out of the conflict, while in reality fuelling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

    “And at the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West. Well, Beijing cannot have it both ways.

    “At some point – and unless China changes course – allies need to impose a cost,” Stoltenberg said.

    Lin responded that China was not party to the Ukraine crisis and was committed to promoting peace talks.

    Beijing is seen in the West as Russia’s staunchest ally, offering support on the international stage while remaining ostensibly neutral.

    The U.S. has imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese companies for supplying Russia with technology for manufacturing arms.

    Lin called on the “relevant parties” to stop deflecting the blame and fuelling the flames and to take concrete actions to promote the political settlement of the crisis. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • South Africa’s Ramaphosa set to be re-elected even with ANC hammering

    South Africa’s Ramaphosa set to be re-elected even with ANC hammering

    Re-election

    Johannesburg, June 14, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Cyril Ramaphosa was set on Friday to be re-elected as South Africa’s president, having brokered a deal with the opposition for a government of national unity after his African National Congress’s worst election result since the end of apartheid.
    A skillful negotiator, Ramaphosa clinched a deal with the opposition, the white-led Democratic Alliance, and at least two smaller parties, according to DA and other party officials, as the National Assembly held its first sitting since the election and prepared to elect a head of state.
    That will allow him to remain president and survive – at least for now – the huge drop in support for the ANC when it lost its parliamentary majority in the May 29 election.
    But Ramaphosa, 71, emerged weakened from the vote, and some political analysts have questioned whether he can serve a full second five-year term.
    The ANC won just 40 per cent of the vote, meaning Nelson Mandela’s legacy liberation movement has had to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with rival parties for the first time in 30 years.
    As parliament convened on Friday, the DA said it had signed a deal for a unity government with the ANC.
    The socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance had previously confirmed that they would also join the coalition.
    Details of the deal were still unclear, aside from that the DA would receive the position of deputy speaker of parliament.
    The ANC still has the largest number of seats in the National Assembly, but Ramaphosa may have to make significant policy concessions to political adversaries or cede senior cabinet positions.
    After the vote, former union leader-turned-businessman Ramaphosa – Mandela’s lead negotiator in talks to end apartheid – received the backing of top ANC officials to stay on.
    But his party is deeply divided, and some of Ramaphosa’s party rivals may not have buried the hatchet for long.
    Ramaphosa’s future as president had hung in the balance before.
    A panel report found in 2022 that he may have committed misconduct over a stash of cash stuffed into furniture at his game farm.
    He denied wrongdoing over that scandal, dubbed “Farmgate”, and won a new five-year term as ANC leader later that year.
    But last month’s election, in which the ANC’s vote share slumped because of voter anger over issues such as high unemployment, crime, and crippling power cuts, could pose an even bigger challenge.
    Ramaphosa was elected ANC leader in late 2017 on a pledge to clean up the party’s image and revitalise the economy after nine years of scandal, sleaze, and economic decline under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
    But an initial wave of euphoria when he became head of state in 2018 faded quickly.
    More than six years on, the economy remains stagnant and scandals still swirl around top ANC officials.
    The decisive blow in last month’s election was struck by Ramaphosa’s nemesis Zuma, whose new party uMkhonto we Sizwe outperformed expectations and made a big dent in ANC support, especially in Zuma’s home province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
    Ramaphosa has been criticised for appearing to prevaricate on crucial reforms to avoid exacerbating rifts in his party – a far cry from the decisiveness he showed as a union leader in the 1980s.
    His supporters, however, applaud his consensus-building skills and his role in advancing South Africa’s reputation as a champion of the so-called “Global South”, shorthand for a group of low- and middle-income countries.
    During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramaphosa was one of the most prominent voices globally calling for fairer distribution of vaccines.
    More recently, South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, leading judges to rule last month that Israel must halt its military assault on the Gaza city of Rafah.
    Israel has rejected the allegations and pressed on with its offensive in Rafah.
    On the campaign trail, Ramaphosa sought to play up the ANC’s successes over the last 30 years, but critics say he has offered little in the way of new solutions to South Africa’s biggest challenges.
    After the vote, he urged parties to bridge their ideological and racial divisions for the good of the country.
    “South Africans expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, overcome their differences, and act together for the good of everyone.
    That’s what South Africans have said,” he declared. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)