Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second full term as South Africa’s president in Pretoria on Wednesday, following a coalition agreement by his weakened African National Congress (ANC).
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo administered Ramaphosa’s oath of office at the Union Buildings, with lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, religious and traditional leaders, and supporters in attendance.
“In the presence of everyone assembled here, and in full realisation of the high calling I assume as President… I, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, swear that I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa,” Ramaphosa declared.
Lawmakers re-elected the 71-year-old last week after a general election on May 29 produced no outright winner.
The inauguration saw numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso, and Eswatini’s King Mswati III, in attendance.
Guests dressed in suits, fancy dresses, and coats against the chilly winter weather began arriving early, amidst heavy police presence. VIPs, some singing anti-apartheid struggle songs, were seated in a small amphitheatre, while others, holding South African flags, watched dancers and musicians perform on a big stage outside.
Following Ramaphosa’s oath, the national anthem played, a 21-gun salute fired, and army helicopters flew overhead with large South African flags.
This marks the third time Ramaphosa has taken the oath. He first rose to power in 2018 after Jacob Zuma’s resignation amid corruption allegations. Ramaphosa was then re-elected for a full term in 2019. In South Africa, voters elect the parliament, which then elects the president.
Despite promises of a new dawn, anti-corruption efforts, and energy sector reforms, Ramaphosa’s tenure has seen economic struggles, persistent power cuts, high crime rates, and unemployment rising to 32.9 percent.
In the recent election, the ANC won only 40 percent of the vote, down from 57.5 percent five years earlier. For the first time since 1994, the party lost its absolute majority in parliament and had to form a coalition government with several other parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance, and GOOD party.
This coalition allowed Ramaphosa to defeat a last-minute challenge from leftist politician Julius Malema, with 283 lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly voting for him.
However, the coalition faced strong opposition from the left. Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters and former president Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) refused to participate and criticized the inclusion of right-wing parties and the white-led DA. MK, which finished third in the election, contested the results and labeled Ramaphosa’s inauguration as a “farcical” event.
Ramaphosa is expected to announce his cabinet soon, as discussions with coalition members continue.