Cyril Ramaphosa Secures Another Term As South Africa's President

Cyril Ramaphosa, the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), has been re-elected as the President of South Africa. Cyril Ramaphosa was nominated for the position following a historic coalition deal between the governing ANC and opposition parties. The 71-year-old secured 283 votes in the National Assembly against Julius Malema, a surprise candidate of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters. Julius Malema managed to receive only 44 votes.

The African National Congress, which came to power in the country in 1994, lost its majority for the first time in last month’s election. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), announced on Friday that they have formally signed a governing agreement with the ANC. In the polls held on May 29, Ramaphosa's party gathered 40 percent of the vote, followed by the Democratic Alliance with 21 percent. The country's National Assembly, which chooses the president, is composed of the seats held by political parties according to their respective share of the vote.

According to a Reuters report, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. In 2023, the joblessness rate stood at 32.4%. The country is also witnessing record electricity blackouts and sustained water outages. Reports indicate that due to these major issues, the ANC lost its 30-year majority in the national election.