Cyril Ramaphosa: from anti-apartheid activist to leader of South Africa's coalition government
Cyril Ramaphosa, the former trade unionist and key participant in the fight against apartheid, is set to be given a second mandate as South Africa's president, albeit without an absolute majority in parliament. He remains the ANC leader too.
Cyril Ramaphosa, 71, emerged weakened from the elections that took place on 29 May.
Some political analysts have even questioned his ability to serve a full second five-year term.
But after weeks of negotiation he has been named leader of South Africa's first coalition government.
Once described by Mandela as one of the most gifted leaders of his generation, Ramaphosa played a key role in the negotiations that brought an end to apartheid in the early 1990s.
Emergence of an activist
Born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa comes from a family that was moved from Western Native Township to Soweto in 1962.
He attended Tshilidzi Primary School, and completed high school at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda in 1971.
He registered to study law at the University of the North in 1972, and became involved in student politics, joining the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC).
In 1974, he was sentenced to 11 months detention in solitary confinement, under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act for organising pro-Frelimo rallies. The Frelimo Liberation Front of Mozambique is a left-wing party that has been in powere in Mozambique since 1977.
He was detained for the second time and held for six months in 1976 following the Soweto student uprising.
He was sworn in as President of the Republic of South Africa on 15 February 2018 following the resignation of Zuma.
Read more on RFI English
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