Africa Business

Pragmatic, wealthy and ambitious, Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected leader of South Africa’s ruling ANC party on Monday, despite being badly damaged by a cash-heist scandal that has dogged him for months.

Ascendancy to the helm of the African National Congress (ANC), in power for almost three decades, is a stepping stone to a second term as head of state. 

But the 70-year-old is on much shakier ground than when he was first elected party leader in 2017, amid deep divisions within the ANC — the party shaped by Nelson Mandela to spearhead the struggle to end apartheid.

Ramaphosa promised a “new dawn” for South Africa when he became president in 2018, but his image has been dented by scandal and a lacklustre economy. 

Earlier this month, he survived an opposition-led attempt to open impeachment proceedings against him over accusations he attempted to conceal a burglary at his farmhouse.

Details about the huge cash haul, stolen from under sofa cushions, have dealt a massive reputational blow to the man who took the reins of Africa’s most industrialised economy on a pledge to root out graft.

“Previously he was this icon of the clean-up struggle, (a) paragon of virtue… with this (scandal) came so much doubt on his credentials and a reminder that this is not a superhuman (man),” said political analyst and author Susan Booysen.

Born on November 17, 1952 in Johannesburg’s Soweto township — the cradle of the anti-apartheid struggle — to a policeman and a stay-at-home mother, Ramaphosa had long eyed South Africa’s top job, but only came to it after a long detour. 

– From Mandela to Coca-Cola –

He took up activism while studying law in the 1970s and spent 11 months in solitary confinement in 1974.

Ramaphosa turned to trade unionism, one of the few legal ways of protesting the white-minority regime. 

A protege of Mandela, who once described him as one of the most gifted leaders of the “new generation,” Ramaphosa stood alongside the anti-apartheid icon when he walked out of jail in 1990.

He was a key member of the task force that steered the transition to democracy.

But after missing out on becoming Mandela’s successor, Ramaphosa swapped politics for a foray into business that made him one of the wealthiest people in Africa.

He held stakes in McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, making millions in deals that required investors to partner with non-white shareholders. 

Ramaphosa developed a passion for breeding rare buffalos and cattle, a business that would come back to haunt him. 

The opposition once nicknamed him “The Buffalo” after he bid for an 18-million-rand ($104,000) beast in 2012.

He later apologised for making the glitzy bid “in a sea of poverty.” 

– Covid-19 –

In 2012, his image was badly tarnished when police killed 34 striking workers at a platinum mine, where he was then a non-executive director and had called for a crackdown on the miners.

He became Zuma’s vice president in 2014, often drawing criticism for failing to speak out against government corruption.

Renowned for his patience and strategic thinking, Ramaphosa narrowly defeated pro-Zuma rivals to take over leadership of the ANC party in 2017 and then the presidency when Zuma was forced out two months later.

Relaxed at public appearances, he attracts a support base that crosses South Africa’s racial and class divides, but still faces strong opposition from inside the ANC.

His anti-corruption drive has yielded some results, with charges being brought against some high-profile figures.

His handling of the Covid health crisis also won praise internationally. But the pandemic dealt a heavy blow to plans to revive South Africa’s sagging economy.

Unemployment remains stratospherically high and prolonged power cuts are a deep source of anger.

Ramaphosa’s native tongue is Venda, one of South Africa’s 11 official languages — most of which he is now said to speak fluently. 

Married three times, Ramaphosa has four children. His current wife Tshepo Motsepe, a doctor, is the sister of African football chief Patrice Motsepe.  

Countries approved a historic deal to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening the world’s species and ecosystems at a marathon UN biodiversity summit early Monday.

The chair of the COP15 nature summit, Chinese Environment Minister Huang Runqiu, declared the deal adopted at a late-night plenary session in Montreal and struck his gavel, sparking loud applause from assembled delegates.

In doing so he overruled an objection from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which had refused to back the text, demanding greater funding for developing countries as part of the accord.

After four years of fraught negotiations, more than 190 other states rallied behind the Chinese-brokered accord aimed at saving the lands, oceans and species from pollution, degradation and the climate crisis.

The deal pledges to secure 30 percent of the planet as a protected zone by 2030 and to stump up $30 billion in yearly conservation aid for the developing world.

Environmentalists have compared the accord to the landmark plan to limit global warming to 1.5C under the Paris agreement, though some earlier warned that it did not go far enough.

Brian O’Donnell of the Campaign for Nature called it “the largest land and ocean conservation commitment in history.”

“The international community has come together for a landmark global biodiversity agreement that provides some hope that the crisis facing nature is starting to get the attention it deserves,” he said.

“Moose, sea turtles, parrots, rhinos, rare ferns and ancient trees, butterflies, rays, and dolphins are among the million species that will see a significantly improved outlook for their survival and abundance if this agreement is implemented effectively.”

Marco Lambertini, head of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, said ahead of the approval sessions: “It is the equivalent to 1.5C in climate and vital to catalyzing action toward a nature-positive world and holding everyone accountable.

“However, there still remain several loopholes, weak language, and timelines around actions that aren’t commensurate with the scale of the nature crisis we’re all witnessing, and importantly may not add up to achieve this shared global goal.”

– Aid boost –

The text calls on wealthy countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030, while ensuring 30 percent of land and sea areas are effectively conserved and managed by the end of this decade.

It pledges to safeguard the rights of Indigenous people as stewards of their lands, a key demand of campaigners.

But it pulled punches in other areas — for example, only encouraging businesses to report their biodiversity impacts rather than mandating them to do so.

The 23 targets in the accord also include cutting environmentally destructive farming subsidies, reducing the risk from pesticides and tackling invasive species.

– Funding dispute –

At times, the talks looked at risk of collapsing as countries squabbled over money.

The issue of how much money the rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, was the biggest sticking point.

Developing countries, spearheaded by Brazil, had been seeking the creation of a new fund to signal the Global North’s commitment to the cause. But the draft text instead suggested a compromise: creating a fund within an existing mechanism, called the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Brazilian delegate Braulio Dias, speaking on behalf of the incoming government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had called for “better resource mobilization” — technical speak for more aid to developing countries, a concern echoed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Current financial flows for nature to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.

Beyond the moral implications, there is the question of self-interest: $44 trillion of economic value generation — more than half the world’s total GDP — depends on nature and its services.

The United States is not a signatory to the biodiversity convention due to resistance from Republican senators. US President Joe Biden supports the deal and launched his own “30 by 30” plan domestically, while the United States pays into the GEF to assist developing countries.

China chaired the conference but it was held in Canada because of China’s strict Covid rules.

Countries closed in on a historic deal to reverse decades of environmental destruction threatening the world’s species and ecosystems at a marathon UN biodiversity summit on Sunday.

After four years of fraught negotiations, more than 190 states were called on to rally behind a Chinese-brokered accord aimed at saving the lands, oceans and species from pollution, degradation and the climate crisis.

China tabled a plan to secure 30 percent of the planet as a protected zone by 2030 and to stump up $30 billion in yearly conservation aid for the developing world.

A plenary session was scheduled late Sunday at which the countries would be called upon to approve the deal.

Environmentalists have compared the accord to the landmark plan to limit global warming to 1.5C under the Paris agreement, though some conservationists commenting on an earlier draft of the plan Sunday warned that it did not go far enough.

Brian O’Donnell with the Campaign for Nature, remarked that if the draft were enacted, it would be “the largest commitment to ocean and land conservation in history.”

Marco Lambertini, head of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, said “it is the equivalent to 1.5C in climate and vital to catalyzing action toward a nature-positive world and holding everyone accountable.

“However, there still remain several loopholes, weak language, and timelines around actions that aren’t commensurate with the scale of the nature crisis we’re all witnessing, and importantly may not add up to achieve this shared global goal,” he added.

– Aid boost –

The text calls on wealthy countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030, while ensuring 30 percent of land and sea areas are effectively conserved and managed by the end of this decade.

The draft published earlier Sunday includes language safeguarding the rights of Indigenous people as stewards of their lands, a key demand of campaigners.

But it pulled punches in other areas — for example, only encouraging businesses to report their biodiversity impacts rather than mandating them to do so.

The more than 20 targets in the accord also include cutting environmentally destructive farming subsidies, reducing pesticide use and tackling invasive species.

At Sunday night’s session at the COP15 summit, the draft will be put to the nearly 200 signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

China chaired the conference but it was held in Canada because of China’s strict Covid rules.

– Funding dispute –

At times, the talks looked at risk of collapsing as countries squabbled over money.

The issue of how much money the rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, was the biggest sticking point.

Developing countries, spearheaded by Brazil, had been seeking the creation of a new fund to signal the Global North’s commitment to the cause. But the draft text instead suggested a compromise: a “trust fund” within an existing mechanism, called the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Brazilian delegate Braulio Dias, speaking on behalf of the incoming government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for “better resource mobilization” — technical speak for more aid to developing countries, a concern echoed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Current financial flows for nature to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.

Beyond the moral implications, there is the question of self-interest: $44 trillion of economic value generation — more than half the world’s total GDP — depends on nature and its services.

The United States is not a signatory to the biodiversity convention due to resistance from Republican senators. US President Joe Biden supports the deal and launched his own “30 by 30” plan domestically, while the United States pays into the GEF to assist developing countries.

Countries gathered at a UN meeting on biodiversity in Montreal were inching closer Sunday to a deal to protect 30 percent of the planet by 2030 and to stump up $30 billion in yearly aid for the developing world to save their ecosystems.

Fraught talks to seal a “peace pact for nature” came to a head as summit chair China presented a long-awaited compromise text that was cautiously welcomed by many, though some nations said more work was needed.

The plan maps out action for the next decade to roll back habitat destruction, pollution and the climate crisis that scientists say threaten a million plant and animal species with extinction.

It calls on wealthy countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030, while ensuring 30 percent of land and sea areas are effectively conserved and managed by the end of this decade.

The text includes language safeguarding the rights of Indigenous people as stewards of their lands, a key demand of campaigners, but was watered down in other areas — for example, only encouraging businesses to report their biodiversity impacts rather than mandating them to do so. 

The draft still needs to be agreed upon by the 196 signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity before it is finalized.

Environmentalists say the “30 by 30” goal is the biodiversity equivalent of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The meeting, called COP15, is being held in Canada because of China’s strict Covid rules.

– Risk of pushback –

“Six months ago, we didn’t even know if we would have a COP this year, let alone a Paris moment for biodiversity, and that sincerely is where I think we’re heading,” said Canada’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault in enthusiastic remarks.

But European commissioner for environment Virginijus Sinkevicius struck a more cautious note, signaling that the funding figures being discussed could be problematic.

“If we have other countries committing to fulfill those goals, such as China, I think that can be realistic,” he said, also calling on Arab states to play their part.

Colombia’s environment minister Susana Muhamad said she was “optimistic that the main goals have been landed,” calling the draft an “important step forward.”

Braulio Dias, however, speaking on behalf of the incoming Brazilian government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called for “better resource mobilization” — technical speak for more aid to developing countries, a concern echoed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Conservation groups said the text was a mixed bag.

“The draft text makes the largest commitment to ocean and land conservation in history,” said Brian O’Donnell, of the Campaign for Nature.

But Georgina Chandler, of Britain’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said she was worried about a lack of numeric “milestones” for restoring ecosystems on the way to 2050.

“We’re basically not measuring progress until 28 years’ time, which is madness,” she said.

– Funding dispute –

Developing countries, spearheaded by Brazil, had been seeking the creation of a new fund to signal the Global North’s commitment to the cause. But the draft text instead suggests a compromise: a “trust fund” within the existing mechanism, called the Global Environment Facility.

Colombia’s Muhamad said her country would accept this as a stopgap measure.

The more than 20 targets also include cutting environmentally destructive farming subsidies, reducing pesticide use and tackling invasive species.

But the issue of how much money the rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, has been the biggest sticking point.

Lower income nations point out developed countries grew rich by exploiting their natural resources and therefore demand to be paid well to protect their own.

Current financial flows for nature to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.

Beyond the moral implications, there is the question of self-interest: $44 trillion of economic value generation — more than half the world’s total GDP — depends on nature and its services.

Voting to elect a new leader of South Africa’s ruling party got underway late Sunday, with the race tightening between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his former health minister Zweli Mkhize 

Ramaphosa, 70, is expected to be confirmed in the role that would open the way to his being head of state for a second term, despite a damaging cash-heist scandal and vociferous internal opposition.

But the race looked closer than previously expected Sunday, with reports of party delegates from several provinces shifting support to Mkhize, who Ramaphosa replaced at the peak of the pandemic for alleged malfeasance involving Covid funds.

More than 4,000 delegates were casting their ballots to appoint seven top leadership roles, including party president, deputy president, chair and secretary general, at a conference near Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa had been tipped to win the vote comfortably.

But University of the Witwatersrand lecturer Lumkile Mondi said: “Things are so fluid at the moment. It’s going to be very tight.”

The African National Congress (ANC) was shaped by Nelson Mandela to spearhead the struggle to end apartheid. After nearly three decades in power, the rifts in the party are deepening — and their support is declining.

The five-day conference has further exposed those divisions, with allegations of vote-buying and horse-trading ahead of the vote.

The practice “can be divisive” said party spokesman Pule Mabe, adding “there is a commitment on our part to deal with the notion of vote buying”.

“This has been really like a casino,” said Mondi.

– Results expected Monday –

Political analyst Levy Ndou of the Tshwane University of Technology confirmed the behind-the scenes negotiations but forecasted that Ramaphosa would still take the vote.

The election, originally scheduled to take place on Friday, is closely watched. The winner of the ANC top job will be expected to ascend to the national presidency in 2024 polls.

Results are now expected early Monday morning, a senior party elections told AFP.

Ramaphosa first emerged as the ANC leader in a tightly fought 2017 race after his then boss Jacob Zuma became mired in corruption allegations, vowing to be a graft-buster.

But his clean-hands image has been dented by damning accusations he concealed a huge foreign currency cash burglary at his farm in 2020, rather than report it to the authorities.

He won a reprieve ahead of the conference when the ANC used its majority in parliament to block a possible impeachment inquiry.

His sole rival Mkhize hails from the same province as Zuma, the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of party delegates.

As health minister, the 66-year-old medical doctor was lauded for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

But his tenure ended abruptly when he resigned amid allegations his son and associates benefited from a 150 million rand ($10.4 million) contract for a Covid awareness campaign. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

– Tarnished record –

The image of the 110-year-old ANC has been fractured, and stained by corruption, cronyism and a lacklustre economic record. 

An organisational report presented at the conference showed that party membership had dropped by a third over the past five years.

Some of those divisions have played out in the open at the conference since it opened on Friday, with Ramaphosa heckled by some delegates before his opening address.

Much of the disturbance came from supporters of Ramaphosa’s political rival, the corruption-tainted former president Zuma.

Chants, shouting and celebratory dances also marked the process to confirm nominations.

Some delegates rolled their hands as a sign for “change”.

But Ramaphosa supporters made the number two with their fingers in support of a second term.

“We are saying Ramaphosa for a second term,” said Elton Bantam, a delegate from the Eastern Cape province.

“He has done very well under very difficult circumstances in the first term.” 

A UN nature deal proposed Sunday calls to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 and asks rich countries to stump up $30 billion in yearly aid for developing nations to save their ecosystems.

Fraught talks seeking an agreement to save the species and ecosystems on which life depends came to a head as summit chair China presented a long-awaited compromise text.

Mapping out action for the next decade to reverse destruction that scientists say threatens a million species, the proposal called on wealthy countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030.

It also called on countries to “ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas” are effectively conserved and managed.

The text includes language safeguarding the rights of Indigenous people as stewards of their lands, a key demand of campaigners.

The compromise text was largely welcomed by conservationists, but still needs to be agreed upon by the 196 signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity before it is finalized.

– Risk of pushback –

Opening the talks in Montreal, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned humanity had become a “weapon of mass extinction” and called on parties to forge a “peace pact with nature.”

The COP15 meeting is being held in Canada because of China’s strict Covid rules.

Delegates began examining the draft agreement just as the football World Cup between France and Argentina kicked off in Qatar.

A plenary session was scheduled for Sunday evening when countries will have the opportunity to approve the deal. Negotiations over the past 10 days have been slow however and observers warned the talks, scheduled to end on Monday, could run over.

“The Chinese presidency’s draft final paper is courageous,” said Germany’s environment minister Steffi Lemke. “By protecting nature, we protect ourselves.”

“By including a target to protect and conserve at least 30 percent of the world’s lands and oceans, the draft text makes the largest commitment to ocean and land conservation in history,” said Brian O’Donnell, of the Campaign for Nature.

But there was also concern that some areas of the text had been watered down.

Georgina Chandler, of Britain’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said she was worried about a lack of numeric “milestones” for restoring ecosystems by 2050.

“We’re basically not measuring progress until 28 years’ time, which is madness,” she said.

– Funding dispute –

Another major issue of contention is the funding mechanism. 

Developing countries, spearheaded by Brazil, were seeking the creation of a new fund to signal the Global North’s commitment to the cause. But the draft text instead suggests a compromise: a “trust fund” within the existing Global Environment Facility.

Observers had warned the COP15 conference risked collapse as countries squabbled over how much the rich world should pay to fund the efforts, with developing nations walking out of talks at one point.

But Chinese environment minister Huang Runqiu said Saturday he was “greatly confident” of a consensus and his Canadian counterpart Steven Guilbeault said “tremendous progress” had been made.

The more than 20 targets also include reducing environmentally destructive farming subsidies, asking businesses to assess and report on their biodiversity impacts, and tackling the scourge of invasive species.

But the issue of how much money the rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, has been the biggest sticking point.

Lower income nations point out developed countries grew rich by exploiting their natural resources and therefore they should be paid well to protect their own.

Current financial flows to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.

Several countries have recently made new commitments. The European Union has committed seven billion euros ($7.4 billion) for the period until 2027, double its prior pledge.

Voting to elect a new leader of South Africa’s ruling party started late Sunday, with the race tightening between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his former health minister Zweli Mkhize amid warnings against “divisive” vote buying.

Ramaphosa, 70, is expected to be confirmed in the role that opens the way to being head of state, despite a damaging cash-heist scandal and vociferous internal opposition.

But the race looked closer than previously expected Sunday, with reports of party delegates from several provinces shifting support to Mkhize, who Ramaphosa replaced at the peak of the pandemic for alleged malfeasance involving Covid funds.

More than 4,000 delegates began casting their ballots to appoint seven top leadership roles, including party president, deputy president, chair and secretary general, at a conference near Johannesburg.

Rifts in the African National Congress (ANC), which was shaped by Nelson Mandela to spearhead the struggle to end apartheid, are deepening, and support is declining after nearly three decades in power.

The five-day conference has further exposed those divisions with allegations of vote-buying, and horse-trading ahead of the vote.

The practice “can be divisive” said party spokesman Pule Mabe, adding “there is a commitment on our part to deal with the notion of vote buying”.

The election, originally scheduled to take place on Friday, is closely watched. The winner of the ANC presidency will be expected to ascend to the national presidency in 2024 polls.

Results are now expected early Monday morning, a senior party elections official said.

Ramaphosa had been tipped to win the vote comfortably, but “it’s up in the air right now,” independent political analyst Pearl Mncube told AFP. 

He first emerged as the ANC leader in a tightly-fought 2017 race after his then boss Jacob Zuma became mired in corruption allegations, vowing to be a graft-buster.

But his clean-hands image has been dented by damning accusations he concealed a huge foreign currency cash burglary at his farm in 2020, rather than report it to the authorities.

He won a reprieve ahead of the conference when the ANC used its majority in parliament to block a possible impeachment inquiry.

– Second term? –

His sole rival Mkhize hails from the same province as Zuma, the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of party delegates.

As health minister, the 66-year-old medical doctor was lauded for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

But his tenure ended abruptly when he resigned amid allegations his son and associates benefited from a 150 million rand ($10.4 million) contract for a Covid awareness campaign. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

The image of the 110-year-old ANC has been fractured, and stained by corruption, cronyism and a lacklustre economic record. 

An organisational report presented at the conference showed that party membership has dropped by a third over the past five years.

Some of those divisions played out in the open at the conference that opened on Friday, with Ramaphosa heckled by some delegates before his opening address.

Much of the disturbance came from supporters of Ramaphosa’s political rival and corruption-tainted former president Zuma.

Chants, shouting and celebratory dances also marked the process to confirm all nominations in the early morning, with senior party officials repeatedly calling for order.

Some delegates rolled their hands as a sign for “change” while others made the number two with their fingers in support of a second term for Ramaphosa.

But some Ramaphosa supporters are unbowed.

“We are saying Ramaphosa for a second term, he has done very well under very difficult circumstances in the first term,” said Elton Bantam, a delegate from the Eastern Cape province.   

A UN nature deal proposed Sunday calls to protect at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030 and asks rich countries to stump up $20 billion in yearly aid for developing nations to save their ecosystems.

China, chairing the COP15 biodiversity summit in Montreal, presented a long-awaited compromise text aiming to seal a pact to save the species and ecosystems on which life depends.

It called on wealthy countries to increase financial aid to the developing world to $20 billion annually by 2025, rising to $30 billion per year by 2030.

The document also called on countries to “ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas” are effectively conserved and managed.

Crucially, it includes language safeguarding the rights of Indigenous people as stewards of their lands, strongly backed by campaigners.

The compromise text was quickly welcomed by conservationists, but still needs to be agreed upon by the 196 signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity before it is finalized.

More than 10 days of fraught biodiversity negotiations came to a head as delegates examined the compromise draft agreement just as the football World Cup between France and Argentina kicked off in Qatar.

A plenary session was scheduled for Sunday evening when countries will have the opportunity to approve the deal. Negotiations over the past 10 days have been slow however and observers warned the talks, scheduled to end on Monday, could run over.

– Risk of pushback –

The proposal “responds to parties’ calls for ambitious outcomes by 2030, including calls to enhance ecological integrity, reduce the risk of pathogen spillover, and conserve at least 30% of our lands and oceans,” said Alfred DeGemmis of the Wildlife Conservation Society in a statement.

“However, parties may push back in plenary, so it’s important for China to bring any hesitant governments on board with the overwhelming global consensus that biodiversity loss is an urgent crisis that requires immediate action.”

He also cautioned that much of the text was too focused on action by 2050, as opposed to more immediate achievements by 2030.

Another key issue to watch for is the funding mechanism. 

Developing countries, spearheaded by Brazil, were seeking the creation of a new fund to signal the global north’s commitment to the cause. But the draft text instead suggests a compromise: a “trust fund” within the existing Global Environment Facility.

China’s Environment Minister Huang Rinqiu said ahead of Sunday’s publication: “It is not a perfect document, not a document that will make everyone happy. However… it is a document that must be adopted at this meeting, that is highly expected by the international community.”

Observers had warned the COP15 conference risked collapse as countries squabbled over how much the rich world should pay to fund the efforts, with developing nations walking out of talks at one point.

But Huang said Saturday he was “greatly confident” of a consensus and his Canadian counterpart Steven Guilbeault said “tremendous progress” had been made.

– Million species threatened –

Delegates are working to roll back the destruction and pollution that threaten an estimated one million plant and animal species with extinction, according to scientists that report to the United Nations.

The more than 20 targets also include reducing environmentally destructive farming subsidies, requiring businesses to assess and report on their biodiversity impacts, and tackling the scourge of invasive species.

Representatives of Indigenous communities, who safeguard 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity, want their rights to practice stewardship of their lands to be enshrined in the final agreement.

The issue of how much money the rich countries will send to the developing world, home to most of the planet’s biodiversity, has been the biggest sticking point.

Lower income nations point out developed countries grew rich by exploiting their resources and therefore they should be paid to protect their own ecosystems.

Current financial flows to the developing world are estimated at around $10 billion per year.

Several countries have recently made new commitments. The European Union has committed seven billion euros ($7.4 billion) for the period until 2027, double its prior pledge.

Voting to elect a new leader of South Africa’s ruling party was to get underway late Sunday afternoon, with the race tightening between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his former health minister Zweli Mkhize.

Ramaphosa, 70, is expected to be confirmed in the role that opens the way to being head of state, despite a damaging cash-heist scandal and vociferous internal opposition.

But observers said the race looked closer than expected, with local media reporting party delegates from several provinces shifting support to Mkhize. 

“We’re seeing Ramaphosa moving from enjoying a comfortable lead, to having Mkhize right behind him. It’s up in the air right now,” independent political analyst Pearl Mncube told AFP. 

More than 4,000 delegates are to cast their ballot to appoint seven top leadership roles, including party president, deputy president, chair and secretary general, at a conference near Johannesburg.

“We are hoping this process will be smooth… and hope to have the results later today,” party spokesman Pule Mabe told journalists. But delegates suggested to AFP that the results were likely to be declared on Monday.

The election was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, but the conference programme has been delayed.

After 28 years in power, the African National Congress (ANC), which was shaped by Nelson Mandela to spearhead the struggle to end apartheid, faces deep rifts and declining support.

An organisational report presented at the conference showed that party membership has dropped by a third over the past five years.

Its image has been stained by corruption, cronyism, nepotism and a lacklustre economic record.

Some of those divisions played out in the open at the conference that opened on Friday, with Ramaphosa heckled by some delegates before his opening address.

Much of the disturbance came from supporters of corruption-tainted former president Jacob Zuma who was forced out by Ramaphosa.

“We are saying Ramaphosa for a second term, he has done very well under very difficult circumstances in the first term,” said Elton Bantam, a delegate from the Eastern Cape province.   

– Dented image –

Chants, shouting and celebratory dances also marked the process to confirm all nominations in the early morning, with senior party officials repeatedly calling for order.

Some delegates rolled their hands as a sign for “change” while others made the number two with their fingers in support of a second term for Ramaphosa.

Mkhize, hails from the same province as Zuma, the southeastern KwaZulu-Natal, which has the largest number of party delegates.

As health minister, the 66-year-old medical doctor was lauded for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

But his two-year spell ended abruptly when he resigned amid allegations his son benefited from a 150 million rand ($10.4 million) contract for a Covid awareness campaign. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

Ramaphosa’s clean-hands image has also been dented by damning accusations he concealed a huge foreign currency cash burglary at his farm in 2020, rather than report it to the authorities.

He won a reprieve ahead of the conference when the ANC used its majority in parliament to block a possible impeachment inquiry.

He became the ANC leader in a tightly-fought 2017 race after his then boss Zuma became mired in corruption allegations vowing to be a graft-buster.

An ex-trade unionist, he fronted the historic negotiations to end apartheid in 1994 and helped draft the constitution — considered to be one of Africa’s most progressive charters.

Paul Mashatile, 61, the current party treasurer and acting secretary general, is seen as the leading contender for the role of deputy president. 

Egyptian businessman Mohamed el-Amin has died while serving a three-year sentence for trafficking and sexually assaulting girls at an orphanage he had founded, his lawyer and a lawmaker said Sunday.

The former media and real estate tycoon was transferred to hospital from prison “several months ago” and died “due to his illness”, parliamentarian Mostafa Bakry said on Twitter.

Amin, who owned the popular CBC television network before it was sold in 2018, was convicted in May of sexually assaulting seven underage girls at an orphanage in Beni Suef, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Cairo.

His sentence is the lightest penalty provided by Egyptian law, which lays out a maximum 15-year sentence for sexual assault, or more in cases involving minors or if the perpetrator wields power over the victim.