South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected for a second term after his humbled ANC cobbled together an unprecedented coalition government.
Lawmakers in Cape Town voted overwhelmingly on Friday to re-elect Ramaphosa, 71, for another five-year term. The decision came after the May 29 general election failed to produce an outright winner.
Ramaphosa said in his acceptance speech, “I am humbled and honoured that you, as members of the National Assembly, have decided to elect me to be the President of the Republic of South Africa.”
The election marked a historic turning point for South Africa, putting an end to three decades of ANC dominance.
The party that led the anti-apartheid struggle won only 40% of the vote and lost its majority.
It has now struck a deal to form what it calls a government of national unity.
Ramaphosa said, “This historic juncture in our country’s life requires us to work and act together.”
On Friday, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula announced a broad coalition involving a majority of winning parties to govern South Africa effectively.
These include the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, and other smaller groups.
Fellow MPs re-elected Ramaphosa with 283 votes in a secret ballot.
The agreement also covered regional coalitions, notably in Johannesburg’s Gauteng province and in KwaZulu-Natal, the Zulu heartland. Despite Zuma’s MK securing the most votes, coalition members achieved a narrow majority of 41 out of 80 provincial councillors.
Throughout his tenure, South Africa endured severe power cuts and economic stagnation.
Additionally, high crime rates persisted, coupled with nearly 33 percent unemployment. Now, he faces the daunting challenge of reconciling differing governmental perspectives to revitalize the country’s economy.
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