By Bathandwa Mbola
Pretoria - Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the 2014 Presidential Inauguration, Minister Collins Chabane says he is happy with how the inauguration day is proceeding so far.
“We are happy everything is smooth and still on time. But, we still have few hurdles like seeing all Heads of State seated, and the fly past - but so far everything looks like it is on time,” Minister Chabane told SAnews at the Union Buildings.
Government has rolled out the red carpet to more than 40 Heads of State and/or Government, Vice-Presidents/Deputy Heads of State, Prime Ministers, and Former Heads of State and/or Government.
Presidents who will grace the occasion include that of Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Lesotho, Mozambique and Nigeria - who will arrive after 10:30am.
Fourteen Eminent Persons and 118 foreign ambassadors resident in South Africa will also be present.
They will join the 4500 people who are expected to be accommodated in the chilly Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre.
The Inauguration Ceremony will officially commence at 11am, with inter-faith prayers and a recital of the Preamble to the Constitution of South Africa, preceding the Swearing-In of the President by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
The President will take the Oath of Office before signing the swearing-in certificate. He will then take the National Salute, before addressing the nation from the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre, as the country’s newly inaugurated President.
After a rendition of the National Anthem and a civilian fly past by the South African Airways, the President will depart for the Southern Lawns for a brief address to the audience at this venue.
The President will leave the Southern Lawns for a Presidential State Luncheon at Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, to which Heads of State and/or Government and VVIPs and VIPs have been invited.
The programme for the day will be concluded just before 3pm.
Minister Chabane said government was also ready to welcome the new administration.
"Government continues to function and is ready to welcome them. All the plans for the new administration are in place. So when the new cabinet comes in – they will find everything ready for them,” Minister Chabane added. - SAnews.gov.za
