Published on 20/06/2024
Pretoria – Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in as President of South Africa for a second five-year term on Wednesday, and will lead a coalition government after his party lost its absolute majority in the general elections in May.
“I, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa and will obey, observe, uphold and maintain the Constitution and all other laws of the Republic,” Ramaphosa declared during the oath ceremony, administered by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
“I solemnly and sincerely promise that I will always promote all that will advance the Republic and oppose all that may harm it, (and) protect and promote the rights of all South Africans,” he said at the Union Buildings, the government headquarters in Pretoria, according to the state news agency, SAnews.
Following the oath ceremony, attended by thousands of people, the National Defense Force conducted a 21-gun salute, accompanied by a flyover by the Air Force.
The ceremony was attended by 18 heads of state and government, former leaders, and delegations from numerous regional and global countries, as well as traditional South African leaders.
Representatives from organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and the Southern African Development Community were also present.
Ramaphosa, 71, was elected with 283 votes out of 400 during the first post-election session of the National Assembly on Friday.
He will now lead the coalition Government of National Unity (GNU) after his African National Congress (ANC) party lost its absolute majority in elections for the first time since the establishment of democracy and the end of the apartheid system in 1994.
In the May 29 elections, the ANC secured only 159 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, an insufficient victory that forced it to seek alliances with other parties.
The ANC-led coalition government includes the central-right liberal Democratic Alliance, the conservative Inkatha Freedom Party, the social democratic GOOD, and the far-right Patriotic Alliance.
Ramaphosa was first elected president in 2018, promising to end the corruption that marred the tenure of his predecessor, Jacob Zuma (2009-2018).
However, his popularity has waned due to persistent problems, including high unemployment (32.9 percent), crime, the energy crisis, and extreme inequality that still affects the black population.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES