Ramaphosa begins new term as president of South Africa

South Africa put on a display of pomp and ceremony on Wednesday (19) for the inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as president for a second term, which will see his African National Congress share power with other parties after losing its majority in Parliament.

African heads of state and dignitaries gathered outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of the South African government, to watch Ramaphosa’s motorcade arrive with a guard of honor on horseback.

Ramaphosa will head what he calls a national unity government with five other parties, including the ANC’s biggest rival and virulent critic, the pro-market Democratic Alliance.

While investors welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which wants to boost growth through structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, analysts say sharp ideological divisions between the parties could make the government unstable.

Shortly before the election, Ramaphosa signed into law a National Health Insurance bill that the DA said could collapse a crumbling healthcare system. It was unclear what would happen to this law under the new government.

The AD advocates scrapping the ANC’s flagship black economic empowerment program, claiming it has not worked — a highly controversial topic in a nation struggling with huge inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.

Ramaphosa has not yet announced the composition of his new government, which he will have to negotiate with members of the new alliance.

“The president does not want the country to go through a prolonged period of uncertainty,” his spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, told state broadcaster SABC.

“This time there is a small layer of complexity as he needs to consult with the various parties that are part of the national unity government. These consultations are already underway. They will continue, even tonight,” he said.

The ANC, an ancient liberation movement, came to power under the leadership of Nelson Mandela in the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid. Once unbeatable, it has lost its luster after presiding over years of decline.

It remains the largest party after the May 29 election, with 159 seats out of 400 in the National Assembly, but has lost millions of votes compared to the previous election in 2019. AD’s vote share has remained stable and the party has 87 seats.

Voters punished the ANC for high levels of poverty, inequality and unemployment, rampant crime, ongoing power cuts and corruption within the party’s ranks.