Ramaphosa’s South African Recession Heightens Election Risk

Ramaphosa’s South African Recession Heightens Election Risk

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – President Cyril Ramaphosa’s job of getting South Africa back on track just got a lot more perilous with the surprising news that the economy has slipped into recession. He must walk a fine line between restoring investor confidence battered by almost nine years of misrule by his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, while reducing widespread poverty. And next year’s general elections are looming. The “Ramaphoria” that buoyed the markets and the public at large after…

Read More

Zuma’s Protracted Exit Tests Ramaphosa’s Power in South Africa

Zuma’s Protracted Exit Tests Ramaphosa’s Power in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (Capital Markets in Africa) – Less than two months after taking over the leadership of South Africa’s ruling party, Cyril Ramaphosa is facing a key test of his authority: President Jacob Zuma just won’t go away. Zuma initially defied a decision by top leaders of the African National Congress that he should quit, but his exit seemed imminent when parliament on Tuesday postponed the annual state-of-the-nation address just two days before he was due to deliver it. On…

Read More