{"id":39097,"date":"2024-06-16T18:27:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-16T18:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/appsaf.apieproject.com\/news\/?p=39097"},"modified":"2024-06-16T18:27:56","modified_gmt":"2024-06-16T18:27:56","slug":"cyril-ramaphosa-re-elected-south-african-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/appsaf.apieproject.com\/news\/2024\/06\/16\/cyril-ramaphosa-re-elected-south-african-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyril Ramaphosa Re-elected South African President"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

South Africa’s parliament has re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the country’s president following a landmark coalition deal between the governing African National Congress (ANC) and opposition parties.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new government of national unity combines Mr Ramaphosa’s ANC, the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) and smaller parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his victory speech, Mr Ramaphosa hailed the new coalition, and said voters expected the leaders to “to act and to work together for the good of everyone in our country”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The agreement was hashed out on a day of high political drama, which saw the National Assembly sitting late into the evening for votes to confirm who would hold power in the new administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier, a deal was struck following weeks of speculation about whom the ANC would partner with after losing its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years in last month’s elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It got 40% of the vote, while the DA came second with 22%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula called the coalition deal a “remarkable step”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It meant Mr Ramaphosa – who replaced Jacob Zuma as both president and ANC leader following a bitter power struggle in 2018 – was able to retain power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step is for Mr Ramaphosa to allocate cabinet positions, which will include members of the DA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The multi-party deal does not involve two ANC breakaway parties, and they will probably benefit if it fails to deliver economic improvements demanding by voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But opinion polls suggest many South Africans want this unprecedented grand coalition to succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n