South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has been reelected to the African National Congress’ (ANC) leadership, despite being mired in a financial scandal and facing a strong campaign by his opponents within the party.

In the race against his rival, former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, President Ramaphosa increased his share of the vote from 51% in 2017 to 56% on Monday, December 19, a development that came as no surprise to most analysts.

His reelection comes at a time when the ANC is profoundly divided, with a faction around former President Jacob Zuma, spearheaded by Mkhize, resisting attempts at reforms.

While the party is losing support, Ramaphosa’s popularity is still relatively high, a fact that did not escape party members voting for the new leadership. However, the overriding question remains; will President Ramaphosa prevail in 2024?