President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, ahead of the Labour party leader's first cabinet sitting on Saturday, 6 July 2024. Pictures: GCIS and Justin Tallis/ AFP
President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated the newly elected UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, after the centre-left opposition Labour party’s landslide election win this week.
The Labour party ended 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule, returning to power with a whopping 174-seat majority in the UK parliament.
Starmer will kickstart his plan to “rebuild Britain” on his first full day in charge on Saturday when he is due to hold his first cabinet meeting.
The spokesperson in the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, said Ramaphosa is keen to bolster the strong historic relations between the countries.
Ramaphosa was recently sworn in for another term as South Africa’s president at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 19 June 2024.
“President Ramaphosa said he looks forward to working with Prime Minister Starmer to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries and to address current global political and security challenges,” Magwenya announced on Saturday morning.
“South Africa and the UK are strategic partners with a broad and vibrant relationship, led by a commitment to liberal values, democracy and the rule of law.
“The UK is one of South Africa’s largest bilateral trading and investment partners and remains South Africa’s number one source of long-haul tourism in the world.
“South Africa and the UK collaborate in various multilateral fora to advance shared ideals and objectives,” the spokesperson added.
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In 2022, Ramaphosa was the first head of state to undertake a state visit to the UK following an invitation from King Charles III.
The state visit was focused on strengthening the bonds of cooperation and friendship between the two countries.
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Labour’s resurgence marks a spectacular turnaround from five years ago, when hard-left former leader Jeremy Corbyn took the party to its worst defeat since 1935 in an election dominated by Brexit.
Starmer took over the reins from Corbyn in early 2020 and set about moving the party back to the centre, purging the infighting and anti-Semitism that cost it support.
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