Ramaphosa Loses Favour with RET, Supporters Warned Against Electing Him as ANC President Again

• President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to be re-elected as the ANC's president in 2022 and so far he's been losing support
• Many of those who previously supported Ramaphosa now side with the Radical Economic Transformation Group
• The faction gained popularity in districts that were previously ANC strongholds, thereby diving the ruling party

PRETORIA - In 2022 the African National Congress (ANC) will elect its next president, a position that President Cyril Ramaphosa is vying for. However, the president seems to have lost support in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

A faction called the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) group opposed the president's CR22 campaign and showed their support for former president Jacob Zuma, who was recently ordered to return to prison after his medical parole was deemed unlawful.

Read also

Zikalala claims KwaZulu-Natal ANC is not anti-Ramaphosa

RET blames many of the ANC's issues, including loss of voter support in the local government election, on Ramaphosa. According to the Daily Maverick, Ramaphosa's remaining supporters believe that Jacob Zuma's trial and prison sentence influenced voters to vote for other parties.

RET and CR22 go head to head

Oscar Mabuyane, the Premier of the Eastern Cape, is an ally of President Ramaphosa. Mabuyane's stronghold, namely the OR Tambo District, voted in favour of the president, IOL reports.

RET was popular in Sekhukhune and Vhembe in Limpopo, Kwazulu-Natal's Greater KwaDukuza district. They also gained power in the Eastern Cape, particularly in Amathole, Joe Gqabi and Alfred Nzo districts.

The ANC extended their congratulations to the RET group on their success but also said that the ruling party should present a united front and must not succumb to factionalism.

Read also

Sending Zuma back to prison is "political revenge", says the EFF after court's decision

South Africa reacts to ANC presidential campaign results

@MotlatsMadibeng believes:

"Money will be used to change some RET minds."

@_whatzmyname asked:

"Why on earth would he want to stay president? If I had his money, I would be living my best life, not running a country."

@Indepentdepend1 said:

"Remember cash determines who become the leader. If he could raise a billion for CR17, he must raise R2 billion for CR22. All those branches dance when they see cash, the second term is guaranteed."

@Nkosinathi_99 shared:

"No money will ever rule SA again ever."

@_Zukoh_ believes:

"RET died a long time ago in the Eastern Cape, even the man contesting Oscar is a CR17 man. Stop fooling yourselves, that thing is DEAD!"

Zikalala claims KwaZulu-Natal ANC is not anti-Ramaphosa

Yesterday, Briefly News reported that KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala said that the province's support for Jacob Zuma must not be interpreted as being anti-Ramaphosa.

Read also

AfriForum and the Democratic Alliance welcome the court's decision to send Jacob Zuma back to prison

The KZM provincial executive had lobbied the national leadership of the ANC to support Jacob Zuma as "friends of the court". Zikalala said that ANC members should be allowed to debate and disagree on issues without being labelled as pro-Zuma or anti-Ramaphosa.

He also slammed the culture of "Ja baas" and said that it did not belong within the ANC. The RET faction has recently backed former president Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane Zuma as the new chairperson of the eThekwini region.

Source: Briefly News