The ANC leader is now set to appoint a cabinet made up of the weakened party and its coalition partners in a unity government.
Cyril Ramaphosa hailed his broad coalition government as “the beginning of a new era” as he was sworn in for a second time as South Africa’s president.
Ramaphosa, who was sworn in in Pretoria on Wednesday, now faces the challenge of forming a cabinet made up of his weakened African National Congress (ANC) party and coalition partners.
Lawmakers decided last week to re-elect the 71-year-old after last May’s election failed to produce an outright winner, prompting the ANC to form a deal with five other parties, including the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA). . National unity government.
“The establishment of the National Unity Government is a moment of profound significance. This is the beginning of a new era,” Ramaphosa said at the inauguration ceremony led by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.
The ANC, which fought against apartheid for decades and came to power under the leadership of Nelson Mandela in 1994, lost its majority for the first time in 30 years of democracy, winning only 40% of the vote.
The alliance with the DA, the largest opposition party with 22% of the vote, has been described by some as a new chapter in the country’s history.
Investors have welcomed the inclusion of the DA, which focuses on structural reforms and prudent fiscal policies, but analysts predict the sharp ideological divide between the two could lead to instability.
Just before the election, Ramaphosa signed a national health insurance bill that the DA says could collapse the creaking health system. It was unclear what would happen to the law under the new government.
The DA advocates abolishing the ANC’s flagship black economic empowerment program, saying it is ineffective. This is a highly controversial topic in a country grappling with massive inequalities, some inherited from apartheid.
Ramaphosa will now negotiate the formation of a new government with members of the new alliance, which includes the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, the anti-immigrant Patriotic Alliance and the smaller centre-left GOOD party.
The president does not want the country to experience prolonged uncertainty and consultations will continue until late Wednesday, presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told state broadcaster SABC.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lorenco, Congo’s Denis Sasso Nguesso, and Eswatini’s leader King Mswati III.
