Although her move was widely welcomed on social networks Brewers Scooter Gennett Jersey , Ramphele faced internal revolt within Agang SA. Senior party officials accused her of betraying what she claimed to
stand for. There were also rumblings of discontent with the DA, with many
claiming they had not been consulted. Political analyst Steven Friedman,
director of the Center for the Study of Democracy at The University of
Johannesburg, said the DA had committed an error of judgement. Ramphele, he
said Brewers Ryan Braun Jersey , had no constituency and could not claim a history within South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), which is
considered a vote-catching quality.
Friedman said Agang SA hand been a "non-starter". This observation is borne out by poll results published earlier in January by research organization Ipsos,
suggesting that Agang SA would attract less than one percent of South African
voters. According to Friedman, those who supported Ramphele's latest move were
most likely DA supporters already. He said Ramphele would be unlikely to draw
voters away from the ANC, which attracted 64 percent of the vote in the previous
general elections in 2009. January's Ipsos poll gave the opposition DA a maxima
of 19 percent of this year's vote Brewers Robin Yount Jersey , up from 16.7 percent in 2009.
However, Jos Kuper of South African research organization Futurefact, said 43 percent of black South Africans have confidence in Ramphele. "Up to now the DA
has battled to attract black support as it has lacked credible black leadership
and black South Africans appear to be reluctant to vote for a party they feel is
dominated by whites. Ramphele as leader of the DA could effectively prevent the
ANC from playing the race card and conceivably offer voters a way- out," he
said.
Kuper's analysis suggests the DA has made a good strategic move. However, Gwede Mantashe Brewers Paul Molitor Jersey , ANC secretary general, described Ramphele's announcement as a "rent a black" ploy designed to mislead voters about the
nature of the DA.
Ramphele, who has long been courted by the DA, has previously distanced herself from the party. In her new autobiography "A Passion for Freedom",
published in January Brewers Orlando Arcia Jersey , she explains why she declined to join the DA, although she was offered leadership of that party. One of her reasons was,
"I did not believe that the English-speaking white supporters of the DA
understood the inequities visited on the majority in the country and the
consequences of their perpetuation for the quality of our democracy".
Ramphele did not respond to questions about what has changed since then.
In its Jan. 30 editorial comment, The Citizen newspaper in Johannesburg said DA leader Zille has often accused South African President Jacob Zuma of using a
policy of "jobs for pals" when making appointments. Yet now she might be accused
of hypocrisy by doing the same thing.
"Zille says Mamphela Ramphele is her friend. At Tuesday's press conference she said they'd known each other since the 1980s, they'd worked together at the
University of Cape Town Brewers Matt Garza Jersey , and they'd brought up children together".
The newspaper said this friendship must be the strongest reason for bringing Ramphele on board as the DA's presidential candidate.
"There can be little else. Ramphele's fledgling party was imploding, with defections and rumblings about her leadership style and lack of consultation.
Her poll ratings were abysmal. Ramphele's formal political career was almost
over before it began, until her friend rescued her," the paper said. The Citizen
said the DA's federal executive was divided over the approach to Ramphele, who
circumvented that party's elaborate candidate selection process. "Whatever the
future holds for Ramphele Brewers Lorenzo Cain Jersey , 66, she won't be the president of South Africa. There is no way the DA will win the 2014 general election", The Citizen
said.
Ramphele bore two children by anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who was murdered by apartheid security police in September 1977. An activist in her own
right, she is a medical doctor who helped develop rural medicine in South
Africa's Eastern Cape province and in her home province of Limpopo. In 2000
Ramphele was appointed a vice-president and managing director of the World
Bank Brewers Jonathan Villar Jersey , where she stayed in 2004. Before that she served a four-year term as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, where
she was senior to Zille, who became DA leader in 2007.
In South African terms, Ramphele is wealthy, disclosing in 2013 that she had a net worth of 55 million rand (now about 4.8 million U.S. dollars). In 2012 she
was involved in controversy when details emerged of the involvement of convicted
criminals in a black economic empowerment deal at South African mining company
Gold Fields Brewers Jonathan Lucroy Jersey , where she had been chairman. Ramphele denied having a hand in the deal.
The date for this year's South African elections has yet to be announced. It is expected to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the country's first
democratic elections on April 27.
SEOUL, April 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's central bank on Thursday revised up this year's growth forecast to 2.6 percent from the previous 2.5 percent
estimated three months earlier, as both exports and private consumption showed
signs of recovery.
Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Lee Ju-yeol made the announcement after the monetary policy meeting.
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