The civic organisation described Ramaphosa’s victory as "a renewed mandate to forge ahead with the fight against corruption".

"President Ramaphosa survived a fiercely coordinated, multi-pronged strategy from desperate architects and beneficiaries of state capture that sought to discredit and dislodge him from his leadership position in order to derail the process to clean up the ANC and hold looters accountable.

"His victory confirms that conference delegates have rejected divisive and treacherous attempts to recapture our glorious movement," remarked Sanco's provincial chairperson, Paul Sebegoe.

"It can only be able to achieve this if it unites behind an intensive programme of action that is service delivery orientated in order to win the electoral support it had lost. What it does in the next few months will be critical and signal its intention to decisively win the 2024 elections," he stressed.

"Factional battles and internal party squabbles must make way for an urgent consolidated programme to defuse the ticking time bomb of youth unemployment as well as address the crime threatening our communities, dysfunctional municipalities and the energy crisis that is hampering economic recovery," emphasised Sebegoe.

Statement