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Ramaphosa nomination shakes up ANC contest

The race for the leadership of South Africa has been shaken up with the formal nomination of Cyril Ramaphosa, the charismatic politician turned businessman, to be the next president of the ruling African National Congress.

Mr Ramaphosa, 55, was Nelson Mandela’s favourite to succeed him but he has been out of politics for a decade after President Thabo Mbeki outmanoeuvred him for the top job in the party in 1997. As the ANC has torn itself apart in the past year between factions loyal to Mr Mbeki and to Jacob Zuma, its populist deputy leader, the former union leader has carefully avoided any sign of ambition.

But in recent weeks party centrists have been agonising over the divisions in the party and quietly agitating for both the frontrunners to spare the party turmoil at December’s leadership election by stepping down in favour of a “compromise” candidate.

These calculations have gone public with Mr Ramaphosa’s nomination by a Cape Town ANC branch, of which many cabinet ministers are members.

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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/384a9508-868a-11dc-b00e-0000779fd2ac.html