Cyril Ramaphosa Sworn in for Second Term as South Africa’s President in Historic Coalition Government

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JOHANNESBURG — Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term as South Africa’s president on Wednesday in a ceremony in Pretoria, following his re-election with support from a coalition of parties, marking a first in the country’s 30-year democratic history.

Ramaphosa is now tasked with forming a Cabinet in this new coalition government after his African National Congress (ANC) party lost its parliamentary majority in the recent elections. He was re-elected by lawmakers on Friday after the main opposition party and a smaller third party joined the ANC in an agreement to co-govern Africa’s most industrialised economy.

The coalition government will consist of at least three parties, which the ANC is calling a government of national unity, with more parties invited to join. Ramaphosa took the oath of office in a public ceremony at the Union Buildings, the seat of government, administered by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Dignitaries including King Mswati III of Eswatini, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga attended the inauguration ceremony. The event featured a 21-gun salute by the presidential guard and a flyover by the South African Air Force, with thousands of citizens entertained by local musicians and cultural dancers.

In his address, Ramaphosa acknowledged the voters’ decision and the need for cooperative governance. “The voters of South Africa did not give any single party the full mandate to govern our country alone. They have directed us to work together to address their plight and realise their aspirations,” he said.

He recognised the electorate’s disappointment in the government’s performance in certain areas and the deep inequalities that persist in society. “The lines drawn by our history, between black and white, between man and woman, between suburbs and townships, between urban and rural, between the wealthy and the poor, remain etched in our landscape,” Ramaphosa stated.

Promising to create new job opportunities and improve basic services such as housing, healthcare, and clean water, Ramaphosa’s assurances aimed to address the nation’s economic concerns. However, leading the new administration may prove challenging due to ideological differences among coalition parties on key issues like land redistribution, the electricity crisis, and affirmative action policies.

Major parties such as the Democratic Alliance and the Inkatha Freedom Party have already joined the coalition, with others like the Patriotic Alliance, the GOOD Party, and the Pan Africanist Congress expected to follow. Notably, the third-largest party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters have refused to join.

It remains unclear when the formation of the new Cabinet will be announced, but Ramaphosa’s leadership of the coalition government is set to shape South Africa’s political landscape in the coming years.

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