Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Cyril Ramaphosa on his re-election as President of South Africa, emphasizing Ramaphosa’s significant role in fostering relations and strategic partnerships between the two nations.
“We greatly appreciate his contribution to the development of strategic partnership relations between our countries, as well as to productive Russian-South African cooperation within the UN, BRICS, G20, and other multilateral structures,” read the congratulatory message from the Kremlin.
Parliament re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as President of South Africa, with Ramaphosa receiving 283 votes against Julius Malema’s 44. Ramaphosa’s re-election coincided with the inauguration of the new National Assembly following the May 29 general elections.
For the first time since the end of apartheid, Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC), which has been in power for 30 years, did not secure an absolute majority of seats.
During the first meeting of the new National Assembly, Thoko Didiza was elected as the new Speaker of Parliament, according to South African broadcaster eNCA. Didiza, a former Minister of Agriculture and Land Reform who served in Nelson Mandela’s government, emphasized the importance of democratic participation and pledged to ensure fair debates and collaboration with all parties to reflect the will of the people.