S. African president to ‘turn the tide’ on corruption
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a message of optimism and renewal Friday in his first state of the nation address, saying it’s time for South Africans to put discord behind them and that the country will “turn the tide” on corruption in state institutions this year.
Ramaphosa’s address capped a dramatic week in which he was elected by ruling party lawmakers following the resignation of predecessor Jacob Zuma, whose tenure was marked by corruption scandals. Zuma was supposed to give the speech last week, but it was postponed because of the leadership crisis that fueled uncertainty and anxiety in the country of 57 million people.
“We should put behind us the era of diminishing trust in public institutions and weakened confidence in our country’s public leaders,” said Ramaphosa, who was Zuma’s deputy before becoming South Africa’s fifth president since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
“A new dawn is upon us,” he said in a speech in parliament that drew applause but was criticized by the opposition as short on meaningful solutions.
“Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan for South Africa is too much of a continuation of the Zuma era,” said Mmusi Maimane, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance. “There is no major policy reform, only some tinkering with the current policies that have not brought change to the lives of our people. There were too many conferences and summits announced, and not enough clear plans for fixing the problems.”