News & Politics
Out With The Old In With The New, Ramaphosa Becomes SA President
It’s pretty ironic when we think of sixty-five year old Cyril Ramaphosa as new however in his position as President of South Africa, he’s a newcomer as he takes over the reins of the country following the resignation of Jacob Zuma on Valentine’s Day in lieu of waning support from his party, the African National […]
It’s pretty ironic when we think of sixty-five year old Cyril Ramaphosa as new however in his position as President of South Africa, he’s a newcomer as he takes over the reins of the country following the resignation of Jacob Zuma on Valentine’s Day in lieu of waning support from his party, the African National Congress.
Zuma’s time as President was not without controversy, the latest coming in the form of corruption allegations following the raid of the Gupta family’s residence for improper dealings with Zuma who had developed a strong relationship with the controversial businessman’s family.
Facing the possibility of a no confidence vote, Zuma opted to resign from office as Ramaphosa turned the crank up a notch since coming into power as the President of the ANC in December. The raid suggests that under Ramaphosa, a different course of action shall be taken and perhaps, South Africa’s heyday lays ahead.
“I truly feel humbled to have been given this great privilege of being able to serve our people,” Ramaphosa said in an address to Parliament moments after he became President. He pledged to act as a “servant of our people” and said he intended to lead with “humility, faithfulness and dignity.”
Cyril Ramaphosa is no stranger to leadership. During Apartheid, he led the way as a trade union leader and served as one of the key negotiators with De Klerk’s government as South Africa transitioned from Apartheid to democratic rule. Following Mandela’s term as President, he wanted Ramaphosa to come into office however, Thabo Mbeki won the ANC’s seat and eventually led the nation for 10 years.
