Cyril Ramaphosa: A new dawn for South Africa?

South Africa’s parliament has elected Cyril Ramaphosa President of the Republic of South Africa following Wednesday’s resignation from former president Jacob Zuma. For many, this comes as a welcome change. Members of parliament even stood to cheer and sing upon the official announcement of their new leader.

Jacob Zuma’s presidency has been riddled by scandal for years. Allegations of rape, corruption, and economic mishandling have led many to protest Zuma and his presidency. Some are now looking forward to a hopeful future with Cyril Ramaphosa in charge.

Ramaphosa is a former anti-apartheid activist and long time member of the African National Congress, the political party that has ruled South Africa since its election of Nelson Mandela in 1994. However, former President Zuma is also a member of the ANC.

For some, this weakens faith in Ramaphosa and his party, as the reputation of the ANC has been tainted by years of scandal and alleged corruption. In 2016, the ANC lost many municipal seats, including capital city Pretoria and the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area, in 2016’s municipal elections: the party’s worst performance since it came to power 24 years ago.

While Ramaphosa has said he plans to focus on reviving South Africa’s economy, there is much to be done with slow growth and unemployment at a historic high (as much as 68% for some demographics). With an election set for 2019, Ramaphosa’s first priority will have to be forming a united ANC.

Despite the challenges set before him, there are very high expectations for Ramaphosa. Much of this excitement is simply joy that Zuma, is no longer South Africa’s President, but the world will certainly be watching as Ramaphosa’s presidency unfolds. We hope this presents a new era for South Africa and its political landscape.

Dominque Brodie