Cyril Ramaphosa takes over as new South Africa president

Historic day: Cyril Ramaphosa assumes power
Jane Flanagan15 February 2018

South Africans were today celebrating what they hoped was the dawn of a new era with the election of the fifth post-apartheid president of a now-tarnished rainbow nation.

Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist turned self-made multi-millionaire, was expected to be sworn in this afternoon at a ceremony in parliament after scandal-plagued Jacob Zuma’s dramatic resignation last night.

Mr Ramaphosa, 65, began the historic day with a run along Cape Town’s sea front, wearing the tracksuit top of his favourite football team — happy to pose for selfies and acknowledge shouts and hoots from passing cars.

His route along the Atlantic seaboard took him past newspaper billboards which captured the country’s mix of frustration and relief that Mr Zuma had finally stepped down.

Jacob Zuma dramatically resigned last night
EPA

“Defiant in Defeat”, “Going, Going, Gone” and “South Africa’s long nightmare is over” were among the headlines following his televised resignation speech that was characteristically bellicose, graceless and self-justificatory.

The foundation set up to guard the legacy of the late anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela said Mr Zuma’s resignation brought to an end “a painful era for the country”.

So far there has been no sign of any backlash against his public humiliation which Mr Zuma had darkly predicted during a rambling television interview earlier in the day, warning: “We’re being plunged into a crisis that my comrades will regret.” Instead, the most significant gathering of crowds was outside a court in Bloemfontein ahead of the appearance of five businessmen with close ties to Mr Zuma who were arrested yesterday in dawn raids.

The disgraced 75-year-old’s son, Duduzane Zuma, was among those now reportedly being sought by the elite investigations unit, The Hawks, over his links to the Gupta family accused of buying massive influence over the Zuma regime.

Ensuring that the investigation into the corruption scandal is carried out without fear or favour will be a major test for Mr Ramaphosa.

He inherits a cabinet which has been largely appointed by his predecessor with compliant ministers whose priority was to protect the business interests of the Zuma family and their cronies, that has cost the ruling African National Congress millions of voters,

A collector of cars, prize cattle and vintage wine, Mr Ramaphosa epitomises the rise of black capitalism in the modern rainbow nation. Perhaps the darkest stain on his reputation was the slaughter of 34 mine workers in 2012 by police during a wildcat strike at a mine owned by a company where he was director. It was the most deadly police action since the end of white minority rule and Mr Ramaphosa drew criticism for apparently condoning low wages and poor conditions for his workers, while maintaining habits of lavish spending.

The election of Mr Ramaphosa, who was Mr Zuma’s deputy, appeared certain as the ANC holds a majority in parliament. The role will be filled until elections next year.

His first state of the nation address was expected tomorrow. News of Mr Zuma’s resignation sent the rand to a near three-year high against the dollar.

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