Cyril Ramaphosa sworn in as South African President
Cape Town: Cyril Ramaphosa has been sworn in as South Africa’s new President after the resignation of Jacob Zuma, whose scandals brought the storied African National Congress to its weakest point since taking power at the end of apartheid.
“I will try very hard not to disappoint the people of South Africa,” Mr Ramaphosa said in ending his speech to Parliament shortly after ruling party MPs elected him.
He said the issue of corruption was on “our radar screen”.
Mr Ramaphosa was the only candidate nominated for election in the Parliament after two opposition parties said they would not participate.
The opposition parties instead unsuccessfully called for the dissolution of the national assembly and early elections. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng presided over the parliamentary election and congratulated Mr Ramaphosa, who had been Mr Zuma’s deputy and has called for a fight against corruption. Mr Zuma resigned after years of scandals that damaged the stature of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. The opposition Democratic Alliance party will cooperate with Mr Ramaphosa if he acts in the interests of the South African people, party leader Mmusi Maimane said.
Members of a smaller opposition party walked out of parliament before the election, saying the ruling ANC party plan to choose a new president was “illegitimate”. Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party, said ANC lawmakers had failed to hold former Mr Zuma to account for alleged corruption and had therefore violated the constitution.