Who is Cyril Ramaphosa the new president of the African National Congress ?
Cyril Ramaphosa
Cyril Ramaphosa  greets a party member during the 54th national conference of the African National Congress in Johannesburg on Dec. 18. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)
History awaits  Cyril Ramaphosa . On Monday  delegates from South Africa's ruling African National Congress party elected  him  as their new president  paving the way for  Ramaphosa  to become the country's next leader.
 Ramaphosa   65  was active in the revolutionary struggle against apartheid that set  his  country on the path of democracy and greater racial equality â and brought the ANC into power it hasn't lost since Nelson Mandela won South Africa's first free elections in 1994.
 Cyril Ramaphosa   South Africa's deputy president  was named the new leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress Party on Dec. 18. Here's how President Jacob Zuma  his predecessor  reacted. (Nickolaus Bauer)
 Ramaphosa  is part of that last category â and that's an understatement. Once best known as a trade unionist who organized giant strikes against white-owned mines   he  is now a magnate with hands in almost every sector of the economy and a personal net worth of nearly half a billion dollars. In recent years   he  has sat on the boards of mining conglomerates and served as the director of huge companies  including South African Breweries.  He  is married to the sister of South Africa's richest black businessman.
In 2014   he  stepped back from  his  soaring business career to reenter politics  and Zuma named  him   his  deputy president.
 Ramaphosa  ran on an anti-corruption platform and ultimately beat  his  main opponent by just 179 out of more than 4 700 total votes at the ANC's convention on Monday. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma  68  who conceded defeat  is considered a party stalwart  having served in ministerial roles in addition to being an ex-wife of Jacob Zuma. Many of her supporters are likely to get high positions in a Ramaphosa-led ANC  which may limit his ability to enact sweeping reforms.
The expectations for  Ramaphosa  to lead the ANC in a new direction are high.
 He  brings an urbane and pragmatic sensibility to the ANC's leadership  though  he  has often come under fire for a lavish lifestyle so clearly at odds with the lives of most South Africans. Nevertheless   he  has pledged to root out corruption from a government whose officials â at all levels â often brazenly use their power to enrich themselves.
That rhetoric won  Ramaphosa  the support of some of Zuma's main detractors: business leaders and middle-class urban blacks. It also has many wondering whether  Ramaphosa  will pursue the ongoing corruption cases against Zuma. Had Dlamini-Zuma won on Monday  it was widely expected that she would protect her ex-husband  who supported her candidacy.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma  an ex-wife of Jacob Zuma  was Cyril Ramaphosa's main challenger. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
Perhaps the greatest expectation for  Ramaphosa  is that  he  will save the ANC from itself. A stagnant economy coupled with near-continuous scandals have for the first time in South Africa's history driven large numbers of voters away from the party. Last year  the ANC lost control of three of the country's largest cities: Johannesburg  Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay.
âA moment of great renewal is upon us  and we should not let it go by â  Ramaphosa  said on the campaign trail. âWe should grasp it  unite our country around one goal. The goal of making South Africa great. The goal of making South Africa corruption-free.â
[TGT] greets a party member during the 54th national conference of the African National Congress in Johannesburg on Dec. 18. (Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters)
History awaits   [TGT]  . On Monday  delegates from South Africa's ruling African National Congress party elected   [TGT]   as their new president  paving the way for   [TGT] to become the country's next leader.
  [TGT] 65  was active in the revolutionary struggle against apartheid that set   [TGT]   country on the path of democracy and greater racial equality â and brought the ANC into power it hasn't lost since Nelson Mandela won South Africa's first free elections in 1994.
  [TGT]  deputy president  was named the new leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress Party on Dec. 18. Here's how President Jacob Zuma   [TGT]  predecessor  reacted. (Nickolaus Bauer)
  [TGT] is part of that last category â and that's an understatement. Once best known as a trade unionist who organized giant strikes against white-owned mines    [TGT]   is now a magnate with hands in almost every sector of the economy and a personal net worth of nearly half a billion dollars. In recent years    [TGT]   has sat on the boards of mining conglomerates and served as the director of huge companies  including South African Breweries.   [TGT]   is married to the sister of South Africa's richest black businessman.
In 2014    [TGT]   stepped back from   [TGT]   soaring business career to reenter politics  and Zuma named  him   his  deputy president.
  [TGT] ran on an anti-corruption platform and ultimately beat   [TGT]   main opponent by just 179 out of more than 4 700 total votes at the ANC's convention on Monday. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma  68  who conceded defeat  is considered a party stalwart  having served in ministerial roles in addition to being an ex-wife of Jacob Zuma. Many of her supporters are likely to get high positions in a Ramaphosa-led ANC  which may limit his ability to enact sweeping reforms.
The expectations for   [TGT] to lead the ANC in a new direction are high.
  [TGT]   brings an urbane and pragmatic sensibility to the ANC's leadership  though   [TGT]   has often come under fire for a lavish lifestyle so clearly at odds with the lives of most South Africans. Nevertheless    [TGT]   has pledged to root out corruption from a government whose officials â at all levels â often brazenly use their power to enrich themselves.
That rhetoric won   [TGT] the support of some of Zuma's main detractors: business leaders and middle-class urban blacks. It also has many wondering whether   [TGT] will pursue the ongoing corruption cases against Zuma. Had Dlamini-Zuma won on Monday  it was widely expected that she would protect her ex-husband  who supported her candidacy.
Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma  an ex-wife of Jacob Zuma  was Cyril Ramaphosa's main challenger. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters)
Perhaps the greatest expectation for   [TGT] is that   [TGT]   will save the ANC from itself. A stagnant economy coupled with near-continuous scandals have for the first time in South Africa's history driven large numbers of voters away from the party. Last year  the ANC lost control of three of the country's largest cities: Johannesburg  Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay.
âA moment of great renewal is upon us  and we should not let it go by â   [TGT] said on the campaign trail. âWe should grasp it  unite our country around one goal. The goal of making South Africa great. The goal of making South Africa corruption-free.â