South Africa’s parliament elected Cyril Ramaphosa as state president on Wednesday, after his nomination was uncontested by other political parties. The announcement was made at the first sitting of parliament held after the African National Congress won a majority of parliamentary seats in an election held earlier this month, reported Reuters.
Around 400 lawmakers in parliament’s National Assembly lower house elected Ramaphosa, who is also the leader of the ANC, to be retained as South Africa’s president. He will be inaugurated on Saturday.
“I will seek to act and be the president of all South Africans and not just the president of those who voted for the party I lead and those who voted for the parties represented here,’‘ Ramaphosa said while addressing the parliament after his election.
Although Ramaphosa’s ANC party won the May 8 general election, its share of the vote fell, reflecting anger at corruption scandals and racial inequalities that remain the main issue even after a generation since the party took power.
Thandi Modise, the ANC’s nominee for the position of parliament speaker, was also confirmed in the position on Wednesday after she garnered 250 votes against the opposition Democratic Alliance’s nominee, Richard Majola. The ANC nominee for deputy speaker, Lechesa Tsenoli was also confirmed into the role unopposed.
Notably, Ramaphosa’s influential deputy David Mabuza was not be sworn in as a lawmaker after he requested a postponement to address allegations he brought the ruling party ANC into disrepute.
Another senior ANC politician, Nomvula Mokonyane, a former environmental affairs minister, also postponed her swearing in, with ANC officials citing a family bereavement. The party announced that it would now find someone else for the senior parliamentary position that entails holding the executive to account.
