President Cyril Ramaphosa

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa was born on 17 November 1952 in Johannesburg. His family was moved from Western Native Township to Soweto in 1962, where he attended Tshilidzi Primary School. He completed high school at Mphaphuli High School in Sibasa, Venda in 1971.

He registered to study law at the University of the North in 1972, where he became involved in student politics, joining the South African Student Organisation (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC). He was detained in solitary confinement for 11 months in 1974 under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act for organising pro-Frelimo rallies. He was detained for the second time and held for six months in 1976 following the Soweto student uprising.

While a law clerk for a Johannesburg firm of attorneys, he continued his studies through the University of South Africa (UNISA) obtaining his B. Proc degree in 1981. He then joined the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) as a legal advisor.

In 1982, at the request of the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) he founded the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) with James Motlatsi and Elijah Barayi, and became the union’s first General Secretary. He was instrumental in building NUM into the most powerful union at the time, with membership rising from 6 000 to 300 000 during his tenure. He led mineworkers in one of the biggest strikes in South Africa’s history in 1987.

MITCHELL'S PLAIN, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 25: Community members during a protest outside Mitchells Plain Police Station on January 25, 2024 in Mitchell's Plain, South Africa. It is alleged that 15 guns and 8 imitation guns were stolen or went missing from the SAPS in November 2023. (Photo by Gallo Images/Brenton Geach)

ActionSA wants ‘warzone’ Cape Flats declared state of emergency

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Shadrack Sibiya intensifies his fight

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Ramaphosa special operation

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There has been a growing political mutiny against ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa in a manner that suggests that this is the beginning of the...
Commission postpones long-awaited sitting

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Mbalula-Mashatile unity slate gains momentum

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EFF tells Trump to back off from SA affairs

EFF urges US President Donald Trump to back off from SA military affairs

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ATM warns Gcaleka to act or else

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Ministers declare alcoholic and non-alcoholic freebies

SA’s cabinet members score enough booze to throw a party

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