If you’re a betting person, put your money on South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa remaining in office – despite the catastrophic loss of support his governing ANC suffered in the election.

In his address to the media, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula emphatically stated that Ramaphosa will not step down.

“That is not going to happen,” he said.

Mr Mbalula’s views are significant – he is one of the most influential leaders, and power-brokers, in the party.

And he promised that the ANC will step up its efforts to renew itself, otherwise “we’re gone”.

That’s an endorsement of Ramaphosa’s efforts to tackle corruption in the party – and the government.

The ANC’s secretary general says that while the party is up for talks there was one non-negotiable.

“If you come to us with a demand that [President Cyril] Ramaphosa must step down that is not going to happen,” Fikile Mbalula says.

This was a reference to a demand by ex-President Jacob Zuma’s MK that Ramaphosa should step down as a condition for negotiations.