By Neo Semono
Pretoria- Today is indeed a great day for South Africa, says Presidency Director-General Cassius Lubisi, with just hours to go until the inauguration of President-elect Jacob Zuma at the Union Buildings.
“Today is indeed a great day for the Republic. We are pleased and happy to come and share in the inauguration of President-elect Zuma for a second term in office,” Director General Lubisi said on Saturday morning.
Guests started arriving at the Union Building’s Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre on a chilly, yet sunny, morning for the inauguration of the President, following the country’s fifth General Elections that took place on 7 May.
The Union Buildings is a hive of activity ahead of the formal programme that is set to begin at 11am.
“We are confident that everything is in place. We've been busy at this for almost a year. We are confident that everything will go extremely well,” said Director-General Lubisi.
Speaking to SAnews, IEC Deputy Chair Terry Tselane said the elections had gone well. The inauguration today will conclude the electoral process - following the elections, the first sitting of Parliament and the election of a President-elect.
“This is the end of our role as the Electoral Commission in terms of this process. From now we will be preparing for the local government elections which will take place in 18 months’ time.
“In terms of the 2014 General Election, the IEC has completed its responsibility. We are very happy with the fact that everything went smoothly,” said Tselane.
The inauguration of the President-elect today coincides with the day on which the late former President Nelson Mandela in 1994 delivered the first State of the Nation Address of a democratic dispensation.
Among the guests spotted at the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre, where the inauguration will take place, were businessman Patrice Motsepe, former Communications Minister Dina Pule and soccer administrator and National Orders recipient Irvin Khoza.-SAnews.gov.za
