I’ll work hard not to disappoint people of South Africa, says Ramaphosa

By : Editor

Date: 16 February 2018 5:14am WAT

Former South African Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa (rear L) reacts as he hugs South African National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete (rear R) after being elected by the Members of Parliament during a session at the Parliament in Cape Town prior to his swearing in as South Africa's President, on February 15, 2018. South African lawmakers elected wealthy former businessman Cyril Ramaphosa on February 15, 2018 as the country's new president after scandal-tainted Jacob Zuma resigned under pressure from his own ANC ruling party. Ramaphosa was elected without a vote after being the only candidate nominated in the parliament in Cape Town, chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng told assembled lawmakers. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Rodger BOSCH

[vvideo code=”IXQMDI21″ autoplay=”yes”]

Newly elected President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would work hard “not to disappoint the people of South Africa.”

Ramaphosa made the pledge in a brief remark after he was elected President by parliament yesterday, after the resignation of Jacob Zuma.

“The issues that you have raised have to do with corruption, how we can straighten out our state-owned enterprises and how we deal with state capture are issues that are on our radar screen,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said he also pledged to tackle endemic corruption after Zuma resigned on orders from the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

Ramaphosa, who will be president until elections in 2019, faces an uphill battle to earn back public and investor support.

Swiftly, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday congratulated Ramaphosa and also felicitated with the ANC and the Government and people of South Africa, on the peaceful transfer of power that resulted in the election of President Ramaphosa.

The 75-year-old Zuma in a 30-minute farewell address to the nation said he disagreed with the way the ANC had thrust him towards an early exit after Ramaphosa replaced him as party president, but would accept its orders.

Meanwhile, Nelson Chamisa will run as the opposition’s presidential candidate in Zimbabwe’s elections later this year, the Movement for Democratic Change announced on Thursday, after the death of stalwart leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai, who was a thorn in the side of recently ousted leader Robert Mugabe for decades, died on Wednesday after a long battle with cancer.

“The power vacuum created by the departure of our iconic leader Tsvangirai and unanimously agreed that Chamisa will be the acting President for the next 12 months,”MDC Vice Chairman, Morgan Komichi said.
[ad unit=2]