By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced that president-elect Cyril Ramaphosa will be sworn in a ceremony that will be attended by foreign heads of states.
This comes after Ramaphosa was re-elected during the first sitting of parliament in Cape Town on Friday.
According to Ntshavheni, the inauguration ceremony will be held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, 19 June from 11 am.
Ntshavheni and other ministers were addressing the media in Pretoria on the state of readiness for the Presidential inauguration.
She said the public is also invited to attend the proceedings and that roads around the Union Buildings precinct will be closed off to traffic.
“The President-elect will be sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa Justice Raymond Zondo. The ceremony will be staged in the Union Buildings Amphitheatre. Preparations have been made for South Africans to participate in the Union Buildings South lawns,” she adds.
Ramaphosa will then deliver a speech which will be followed by the swearing in.
Ntshavheni said the Presidential Inauguration was an important feature in a year in which the country is marking 30 Years of Freedom under the theme” 30 years of Democracy, Partnership and Growth” – which is also a theme of the inauguration.
The inauguration will bring together South Africans from all backgrounds, walks of life and political orientation, united in our diversity.
International Relations Minister, Naledi Pandor said a number of heads of state and government have been invited to attend Ramaphosa’s inauguration.
She said the invitations were also extended to African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and Pan African Parliament President Fortune Charumbira, among others.
Meanwhile US President Joe Biden has congratulated Ramaphosa on his re-election and commended all political parties for working together to form a Government of National Unity.
“I look forward to the United States and South Africa continuing our work together, to expand economic opportunity, invest in clean energy solutions, and demonstrate that democracy delivers,” Biden said in a statement from White House on Saturday.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has also congratulated President Ramaphosa on his re-election.
“We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the development of strategic partnership between our countries, as well as productive Russian-South African cooperation within the UN, BRICS, the G20 and other multilateral organisations,” Putin said in a telegram published by the Kremlin, adding that he “looked forward to continuing our constructive dialogue and joint work”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also congratulated Ramaphosa, hailing South Africa’s “joint efforts to restore just peace in Ukraine.”
Neighbouring Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Ramaphosa’s second mandate was “ample testimony of the great confidence and trust” South Africans had in him.
Ramaphosa will now have the arduous task to bridge conflicting views within government to turn around South Africa’s economic fortunes.