Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term as South Africa’s president on Wednesday in a swearing in ceremony at the Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital.
Despite his party, the African National Congress (ANC), failing to win the required majority of seats in parliament, South Africa’s lawmakers re-elected 71-year-old Ramaphosa for a second term after a historic coalition with the opposition parties.
The ANC lost its majority in the South African parliament for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
At the inauguration, Ramaphosa hailed his broad coalition government as the “beginning of a new era.”
“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 realize their aspirations.
“I swear I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa, I will obey, observe and uphold the constitution and all other laws of the republic,” Ramaphosa said.
Several dignitaries and African heads of states attended the inauguration, including Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Angolan President Joao Lourenco, and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, among others.
