Cyril Ramaphosa has been elected as the President. Ramaphosa obtained 283 votes. He defeated EFF leader Julius Malema who was able to secure 44 votes.
Ramaphosa secured his second term with the help of lawmakers from the country’s second biggest party, the Democratic Alliance, and some other smaller parties. A deal some analysts have described as sleeping with the enemy as the DA has been for years ANCs main opposition and greatest critic.
The parties will now co-govern South Africa in its first national coalition where no party has a majority in Parliament.
According to AP “Former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party boycotted the session but that did not affect the voting as only a third of the house is needed for a quorum.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party was open to talking with anyone else who wanted to join the unity government. There are 18 political parties represented in Parliament and he said the multi-party agreement would “prioritize the country across the political and ideological divide.”
Some parties, including Malema’s EFF, refused to join”.
Many wonder how this unity government will work seeing the big difference in core ideological make up of the ANC and DA.
The president will be sworn on a tentative date of June 19.
The president will then unveil his new Cabinet, which will include members of his own party, DA and other smaller parties.
