Date of president’s inauguration will be announced, says Ntshavheni

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa will remain as president until a new government is established.

The 2024 national and provincial elections did not produce a clear winner, marking the end of the ANC’s 30-year majority.

The party’s share of the vote dropped to 40% in this year’s election from 57% in 2019.

Consequently, the ANC secured only 159 seats, down from the 230 seats the party held in 2019.

New president?

The seventh democratic Parliament has to be ushered within 14 days of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) declaring the election results.

The first sitting of the National Assembly will elect South Africa’s new president.

For now, Ramaphosa remains the head of the state, according to Ntshavheni.

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“The president remains president and until a new president is sworn in at the inauguration. There’s going to be a parliamentary process that swears in MPs and then elects a president of the Republic.

“The parliamentary system is determined by the Chief Justice,” she told the media at the IEC’s results centre.

Ntshavheni, however, could not confirm when the inauguration will take place.

“We will announce the date of the inauguration,” the minister continued.

She further stated that the president would announce their Cabinet ministers following the inauguration.

Cyril Ramaphosa is president until a new one is chosen by parliamentarians, according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Pres Zuma #ElectionsResults Duma and Mtolo Lenny Kravitz ANC of Ramaphosa Coalition #Umndeni Below 40% The EFF Mbalula President Zuma ANC NEC pic.twitter.com/6SkyLzKkZP

— MzansiTrust (@mzansi_trust) June 2, 2024

Ramaphosa is reportedly already facing calls for his resignation in light of the ANC’s performance in the general election.

But ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has ruled out Ramaphosa stepping down as the party enters coalition talks with other political parties.

MK party threats

Meanwhile, Ntshavheni addressed the threats of unrest over the outcome of the elections.

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has threatened to boycott the National Assembly’s first sitting if the IEC did not resolve to do a recount following allegations of vote rigging.

MK party leader Jacob Zuma warned of “trouble” should his party’s call not be heeded.

Speaking during a media briefing on Sunday, Ntshavheni stated the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) was duty-bound to ensure law and order in the country.

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“We have to treat everybody in accordance with the provisions of the law, there is nobody above the law and there is no peacetime hero.

“We must be clear about that. If you threaten or attempt to threaten the stability of the republic, the law will have to take its course. We will respond to any incidents,” she said.

The minister called on all parties to abide by the code of conduct, which they signed, and raise their disputes with the proper mechanisms in terms of the Electoral Act.

“They can raise their disputes in line with what the act provides for. If there is any engagement, it will be between the IEC and the MK party,” she said.

Watch the briefing below:

Furthermore, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise acknowledged that the July 2021 unrest caught the JCPS off-guard, but stressed that the cluster has learnt a “good lesson” from riots.

She assured the public that the cluster was prepared to handle any instability that might arise from the declaration of election results.

“We will not tolerate anybody interfering with the rights of the rest of the citizens. The integrity of South Africa is part of our responsibility to safeguard [and] we take ourselves very seriously on that matter,” Modise said.

Additionally, Police Minister Bheki Cele stated that there can be no room for threats of instability.

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