Cyril Ramaphosa has been sworn in as the president of South Africa for a second term.
Ramaphosa reclaimed the seat despite failing to secure a majority of seats in South Africa’s parliament.
Ramaphosa was sworn in on Wednesday after his party was forced to form a coalition with other opposition parties to stay in office.
During his oath of office ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital, Ramaphosa reaffirmed his commitment to respecting residents’ wishes.
Ramaphosa said:
“The people have spoken loudly that they choose peace and democracy over violent, undemocratic and unconstitutional methods.”
“In their multitude, in voices that are many and diverse, the people of South Africa have voted and made known their wishes, their concerns and their expectations.
“They did not give any single party the full mandate to govern our country alone. They have directed us to work together to address their plight and realise their aspirations.”
Ramaphosa also stated that the South African people have “unambiguously expressed their disappointment and disapproval of our (political parties’) performance in some of the areas in which we have failed them.”
Last month’s election saw the African National Congress (ANC) lose its commanding majority after 30 years of rule since apartheid’s end.
The party’s support began to dwindle in 2019 as a result of frequent power outages, an increase in violent crimes, widespread poverty, and unemployment.
Ramaphosa stated that he will try his utmost to meet South Africans’ expectations, which include a revolutionary society and an inclusive economy.