South Africa’s new president Cyril Ramaphosa vows to target graft and boost jobs in ‘new dawn’
In his first major speech after Zuma’s bruising nine-year term ended, Ramaphosa outlined a grand vision for South Africa
.png?itok=xML2J2Ym)
South Africa’s newly appointed president, Cyril Ramaphosa, hailed “a new dawn” on Friday as he pledged to tackle the corruption that his predecessor Jacob Zuma is accused of fostering.
In his first major speech after Zuma’s bruising nine-year term ended, Ramaphosa outlined a grand vision to revive the stagnant economy, address dire unemployment and control spiralling government debt.
“We should put all the negativity that has dogged our country behind us because a new dawn is upon us and a wonderful dawn has arrived,” Ramaphosa told parliament in the annual State of the Nation address
Ramaphosa elected as South Africa’s new leader, but it’s a hard road ahead
“Tough decisions have to be made to close our fiscal gap, stabilise our debt and restore our state-owned enterprises to health,” he said, adding “our most grave and most pressing challenge is youth unemployment.”
In his first full day in office, Ramaphosa won loud applause and cheers from many ANC lawmakers who were fiercely loyal to Zuma throughout his turbulent and often divisive presidency.
Zuma was forced to resign on Wednesday after the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party turned against him, with pro-business reformist Ramaphosa sworn in as president on Thursday.
After multiple corruption scandals, economic slowdown and falling popularity with voters, the ANC had threatened to oust Zuma via a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Opposition parties reacted warmly to Ramaphosa’s speech.
The liberal Democratic Alliance applauded business-friendly policies, and the radical opposition Economic Freedom Fighters cheered pro-black land redistribution plans.
“The last positive speech of this sort that I heard was in 1994 when Madiba spoke,” said Narend Singh, chief whip of the Inkatha Freedom Party, referring to Nelson Mandela.
“He’s returned faith in members of parliament – and in South Africans.”
Violent crime against white South African farmers opens old wounds
Ramaphosa, 65, is a former trade unionist who led talks to end apartheid in the early 1990s and then became a multimillionaire businessman before returning to politics.
Ahead of the speech, he told journalists he was “a little bit excited, expectant, a little apprehensive”.
Among the immediate challenges he faces are a gaping 50-billion-rand (US$4.3-billion/3.44-billion-euro) deficit, the threat of further credit rating downgrades, and 26.7 per cent unemployment.
Cape Town confronts ‘Day Zero’ as water supply runs dry
“We will be initiating measures to set the country on a new path of growth, employment and transformation,” he said, giving few policy details.
“We have to build further on the collaboration with business and labour to restore confidence and prevent an investment downgrade.”
Eurasia Group analyst Darias Jonker predicted that Ramaphosawould remove many Zuma loyalists from the cabinet, but only after the budget speech on 21 February.
“[He] will also go after high-level corruption, particularly the Gupta family and their associates, which include members of the Zuma family. This campaign will greatly contribute towards restoring investor confidence,” Jonker said.
South African President Jacob Zuma quits under cloud of scandal
The Guptas are a business family from India who formed allegedly improper ties to Zuma.
They are accused of receiving hugely favourable government deals and even influencing cabinet appointments.
Police on Thursday said an arrest warrant had been issued for one of the brothers, Ajay Gupta.
