JOHANNESBURG – A new poll suggests billionaire businessman and Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe is the favourite to replace President Cyril Ramaphosa as leader of the ruling African National Congress in South Africa.
The Social Research Foundation (SRF) poll shows Motsepe leading Deputy President Paul Mashatile among general voters, while ANC supporters favor Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
Motsepe — who has said he will not run — was still included in the poll with suggestions his backers still hope to persuade him to change his mind and throw his hat in the ring.
The succession debate has overshadowed this week’s ANC National General Council meeting, which marks the start of the party’s transition toward its 2027 elective conference.
Several new names have also surfaced, including ANC Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane and National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, backed by the ANC Women’s League, as well as Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
The leadership maneuvering comes as the ANC grapples with declining support and shrinking membership, which has fallen to just over 540,000.
Party leaders, including Gwede Mantashe, have attempted to downplay the speculation, calling succession talk premature.
Motsepe will finish what big nose started
Billionaire and football mogul Patrice Motsepe is brother in law to President Cyril Ramaphosa, making it both a strength (strong family & political ties) and a weakness wrapped in one pack (people may take his rise to the highest office as an extension of the current President's politics at a time the ANC is known for cutting short the outgoing President's term).
Leave Motsepe alone
They are brother in law. Cyril married Patrices sister
Same team mukwasha natsano
If I was Motsepe I wouldn't tarnish my image by vying for presidency
Same size nose as current president😂😂🤣🤣
Much better than Mchunu. Immediately
Patrice – Yessss 💪🏾💪🏾
Mbalula – Nooooo ☹️☹️
At this moment any billionaire who joins ANC is like a billionaire that joins ZANU PF. The only thing they will be doing is to make their names dirty. Where thieves and corrupt people are called, their names won't be left out.
In the event that those two political parties lose power, those billionaires risk losing everything they have worked so hard for. But, that's none of my business, they can go on, join and be part of the corrupt system.
Julius Malema for president
Who funds the Social Research Foundation ? Beware of propagating the neo colonial narrative Lancelot. Who doesn't know that Patrice is a whiteman in Black skin. Who doesn't know tha his circles are white