South Africa's ruling party must regain support, says leader

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party, the African National Congress, must work to regain popular support after being embroiled in corruption scandals and divided by bitter factional rivalries

JOHANNESBURG -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ruling party, the African National Congress, must work to regain popular support after being embroiled in corruption scandals and divided by bitter factional rivalries.

Marking the ANC's 110th anniversary Saturday, Ramaphosa struck a somber note, emphasizing that the party of Nelson Mandela which helped South Africa to achieve democracy, has lost voter backing.

“We must be forthright in recognizing, and deal decisively with, the reality that ANC structures are in a poor state," Ramaphosa said. “Many of them are focused on internal organizational conflicts, factionalism and furthering the self-interest of individual leaders rather than the aspirations of communities they are meant to serve."

The anniversary event held in Polokwane in the northern Limpopo province comes days after a state-backed judicial investigation revealed how some of the party’s top officials had benefited from corruption.