Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa’s New President At A Glance

Cyril Ramaphosa was born in Soweto, Johannesburg in November 1952.

Ramaphosa, while a student at the University of the North located at the Limpopo Province, became involved in student politics and joined the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC).

He was detained in solitary confinement for eleven months in 1974 under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act, for organising pro-Frelimo rallies.

He was also detained in 1976 for anti-apartheid activities.

Ramaphosa was the Chairman of National Reception committee which prepared for Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990.

He became an MP and chairman of constitutional assembly in 1994.

The former anti-apartheid activist moved into full-time business in 1997, becoming one of South Africa’s richest businessmen.

He had hoped to succeed Mandela as president but Thabo Mbeki was chosen instead.

The 65-year-old Unionist became South Africa’s Deputy President in 2014.

He was elected leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December 2018, which made it obvious that he would soon achieve his long-held dream of becoming president.

After Jacob Zuma’s resignation as President, Ramaphosa became the fifth President of South Africa, following a vote of the National Assembly on 15 February 2018.