President Ramaphosa was confirmed for a second term

President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa He was confirmed for a second term by the country's newly elected parliament. Chief Justice Raymond Zondo announced late Friday evening that the 71-year-old had received 283 votes out of 339 cast. Ramaphosa, the leader of the African National Congress, is scheduled to form a new government.

Statement of intent

The ANC says it aims to cooperate with all parties represented in Parliament. The so-called national unity government is a kind of grand coalition, but without any fixed coalition agreements. A declaration of intent was signed on Friday with the former largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance.

In the general elections of 29 May, the African National Congress, the party of former anti-apartheid freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, suffered a massive loss of power. This means the party will no longer rule the continent's most powerful economy alone, and will have to form a coalition for the first time in 30 years. The African National Congress has 159 seats out of 400 parliamentary seats, and the Democratic Alliance is represented in Parliament by 87 deputies.

John Steenhausen, a senior Democratic Party politician, said in Cape Town that a “new chapter” had begun in South Africa after two weeks of intense negotiations. The signed declaration of intent stated that such an alliance, which included other parties, was in the interest of all South Africans.

However, not all ANC representatives are happy to work with the Economic Liberal Democratic Alliance, which, in the eyes of some ANC supporters, primarily represents the interests of South Africa's white minority. Negotiations between the ANC and other parties represented in Parliament are still ongoing. Political commentators have already warned that a national unity government could lead to an unstable and ineffective government.

There is an urgent need for reforms in the country of 61 million people. South Africa has been suffering for years from a faltering economy, mass unemployment, rampant corruption, faltering state-owned enterprises, and a collapse in the health and education sectors.