Cyril Ramaphosa: Leading South Africa Through A Deadly Pandemic
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African politician and the fifth and current President of South Africa. Ramaphosa was born in Soweto, Johannesburg, on 17 November 1952, to Venda parents.
He attended Tshilidzi Primary School and Sekano Ntoane High School in Soweto. In 1971, he matriculated from Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda and subsequently registered to study law at the University of the North (Turfloop) in Limpopo Province in 1972.
Ramaphose has always had an eye for politics and governance. While at university, Ramaphosa became involved in student politics and joined the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC). This resulted in him being detained in 1974 and 1976 for anti-apartheid activities and launched the National Union of Mineworkers in 1982.
Following President Jacob Zuma’s resignation in February 2018, Ramaphosa was elected unopposed as President of South Africa by the National Assembly on 15 February 2018. Ramaphosa is also well known as a businessman, and his estimated net worth is over R6.4 billion ($450 million) as of 2018, with 31 properties and previously-held notable ownership in companies such as McDonald’s South Africa, chair of the board for MTN and member of the board for Lonmin.
He is currently married to Tshepo Motsepe, a medical doctor and the sister of South African mining billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, and he has five known children.
Ever since Ramaphosa became the president of South Africa he has been battling to stabilize the country which he inherited on the brink. Amid nagging economic challenges, he has been able to manage the COVID-19 incident in the country to a degree of satisfaction, conducting the highest number of tests than anywhere else in Africa. In his statement on 23 July 2020, President Ramaphosa outlined the R500 billion social relief and economic support package that has been put in place through a re-prioritisation of funds within the budget and mobilisation of loans from funders to assist businesses, workers and households.
As the chairman of the African Union (AU), he has been leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa and is facilitating the research for the COVID-19 vaccine at the Biovac Institute in Cape Town, South Africa.
In June, President Ramaphosa launched an online platform, Africa Medical Supplies Platform, to enable all African government access critical supplies to combat the novel coronavirus.
His efforts in bringing stability to South Africa and ensuring the safety of the South African people and Africans at large have earned him a place on the Neusroom 100 list.
Writer: Oluwadara Oluwatoye
Designer: Kume Akpubi
