Can South Africa’s Ramaphosa save the country?

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"When the ANC meets every five years, it's a big issue, but none is bigger than this year,” Tinyiko Maluleke, a Johannesburg-based political analyst, said on CGTN’s The Point (@thepointwithlx). "In part, because the stakes are so high."

South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, on Monday elected its new leader Cyril Ramaphosa, 65, the country’s deputy president. He beat Nkosazana Dlamini, a former cabinet minister and President Jacob Zuma’s ex-wife.

The ANC is the biggest political machinery as well as a colossal movement in South Africa’s politics, Maluleke said. "But there have been feelings that the movement is losing its step, and its vision may be waning."

He continued that the country’s economy has been faltering over the past few years. Meanwhile, issues such as corruption and leadership have become very prominent.

Economic issues are critical to the ANC’s agenda, Wu Chuanhua, research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out, noting that the country’s growth has declined from 1.5 percent in 2014 to 0.3 percent in 2016.

Despite the sagging economy, Wu believed that South Africa still plays a leading role in Africa as a member of the BRICS countries.

"China will put more investment into South Africa’s sectors, particularly in agriculture, minerals and manufacture," Wu said, adding that China is willing to upgrade its trade partnership with South Africa.

Wu concluded that a lot depends on the new investment policy under Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa will be the ANC’s flag-bearer in the 2019 national election after his victory, and will have to contend with the allies of his former competitor Dlamini in his leadership team, many of whom do not see eye to eye with him.

He will also have to battle the other parties at the ballot box. The opposition leader Mmusi Maimane said in a statement: "Ramaphosa cannot save South Africa, only the voters can in 2019."

The ANC is often viewed as more than just a political party in South Africa as it was at the forefront of the movement to bring about social change and end apartheid. But with rising inequality and continued social divisions often along racial lines that "movement" is seen by many to be under threat.

"People recognized that he is probably the person with the best possible chance of saving the movement," Maluleke said. "And hopefully if the movement can be saved, so can the country."

The Point with Liu Xin is a 30-minute current affairs program on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 9.30 p.m. BJT (1330GMT), with rebroadcasts at 5.30 a.m. (2130GMT) and 10.30 a.m. (0230GMT).