Union Buildings — The South African president Cyril Ramaphosa officially began his second term in office Wednesday after an inauguration ceremony held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
In his oath acceptance, he said: “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.”
In a speech made after he was sworn in, Ramaphosa promised to tackle the challenges facing the nation especially as he seeks to improve the economy.
“The people have spoken loudly that they choose peace and democracy over violent, undemocratic and unconstitutional methods,”Ramaphosa said.
“In their multitude, in voices that are many and diverse, the people of South Africa have voted and made known their wishes, their concerns, and their expectations,” he said.
“We accept and respect the results of the elections and we once again say the people have spoken. Their will shall be done without any doubt or question.”
He added that the voters of South Africa did not give any single party the full mandate to govern our country alone, directing them to address their plight and realise their aspirations.
He was sworn in by Chief Justice Zondo in a public ceremony.
The event was attended by citizens, heads of state, and representatives from across the world.
Despite South Africans expressing their appreciation of the progress over the past 30 years of democracy, Ramaphosa said they have been unequivocal in expressing their disappointment and disapproval of our performance in some of the areas in which “we have failed them.”
He said they wanted a transformed, growing, and inclusive economy that creates jobs for millions of job seekers and offers business opportunities to all entrepreneurs.
He maintained that the seventh administration would attend to the people’s needs.
The ANC led by Ramaphosa failed to win the election in May for the first time since democracy. The ANC got 40.18% which also saw its seats being reduced from 230 to 159 in Parliament.
But he was re-elected president through the Government of National Unity (GNU) during the first sitting of parliament last Friday in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa won the election with 283 votes beating the EFF’s Julius Malema who received 44 votes.
He will be in office until at least 2029.
The GNU is a type of wide-range, multiparty coalition including all of the main parties that are represented in Parliament, or at least some of them, and would give them a say in national governance.
Just like when you and your friends compromise on what game to play, the different political parties in SA would compromise on important decisions.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics