25 Things you don’t know about Cyril Ramaphosa
Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African politician, businessman, activist, and trade union leader. He was elected as President of ANC at the ANC National Conference in December 2017
1. Full name Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
2. Cyril Ramaphosa was born on the 17th of November 1952 in Soweto
3. Cyril Ramaphosa is the second of the three children of Erdmuth and Samuel Ramaphosa, a retired policeman
4. In 1971 Cyril Ramaphosa matriculated from Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda
5. Cyril Ramaphosa subsequently registered to study law at the University of the North (Turfloop) in 1972
6. While at university, Cyril Ramaphosa became involved in student politics and joined the South African Students Organisation (SASO), and the Black People’s Convention (BPC)
7. After his release, he became a law clerk for a Johannesburg firm of attorneys and continued his studies through the University of South Africa (UNISA), where he obtained his B. Proc. Degree in 1981
8. After obtaining his degree, Cyril Ramaphosa joined the National Council of Trade Unions (NCTU) as a legal advisor
9. Ramaphosa was conference organiser in the preparations leading to the formations of the Congress of South African Trade Union (COSATU). He delivered a keynote address at Cosatu’s launch rally in Durban in December 1985. In March 1986 he was part of COSATU’s delegation which met the African National Congress in Lusaka, Zambia
10. Ramaphosa was elected as the first General Secretary of the union, a position he held until he resigned in June 1991, following his election as Secretary General of the African National Congress (ANC)
11. When Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Cyril Ramaphosa was on the National Reception Committee
12. After Cyril Ramaphosa lost the race to become President of South Africa to Thabo Mbeki, he resigned from his political positions in January 1997 and moved to the private sector, where he became a director of New Africa Investments Limited. He came in first place in the 1997 election to the ANC’s National Executive Committee
13. Cyril Ramaphosa officially became a candidate for the Deputy Presidency on 17 December 2012 and entered the race with the strong backing of the Zuma Camp, on 18 December 2012, he was elected deputy president of the ANC. Cyril Ramaphosa received 3 018 votes, while Mathews Phosa received 470 votes and Tokyo Sexwale received 463 votes.
14. Among other positions, he is executive chairman of Shanduka Group, a company he founded. Shanduka Group has investments in the Resources Sector, Energy Sector, Real Estate, Banking, Insurance, and Telecoms (SEACOM)
15. Cyril Ramaphosa is also chairman of The Bidvest Group Limited, and MTN. His other non-executive directorships include Macsteel Holdings, Alexander Forbes, Standard Bank and SABMiller.
16. In March 2007 Cyril Ramaphosa was appointed Non-Executive joint Chairman of Mondi, a leading international paper and packaging group, when the company demerged from Anglo American plc.
17. Cyril Ramaphosa is regarded as one of South Africa’s richest men, with Forbes estimating his wealth at $675 million
18. Among others, Cyril Ramaphosa has received honorary doctorates from the University of Natal, the University of Port Elizabeth, the University of Cape Town, the University of the North, the National University of Lesotho, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Pennsylvania
19. In October 1991, Cyril Ramaphosa was a visiting Professor of Law at Stanford University.
20. In 2004, Cyril Ramaphosa was voted 34th in the Top 100 Great South Africans
21. Cyril Ramaphosa was included in the 2007 Time 100, an annual list of 100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.
22. In his role as a businessman, Cyril Ramaphosa is a member of the Coca-Cola Company International Advisory Board as well as the Unilever Africa Advisory Council
23. Cyril Ramaphosa was also the first deputy chairman of the Commonwealth Business Council
24. Along with the ex-president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, Cyril Ramaphosa was appointed an inspector of the Irish Republican Army weapons dumps in Northern Ireland. Ramaphosa is the Honorary Consul General for Iceland in Johannesburg, South Africa.
25. Cyril Ramaphosa is married to Dr. Tshepo Motsepe and he has four children
