The final touches have been made and the day has arrived for President-elect Cyril Ramaphosa to take the Oath of Office at the seat of government – the Union Buildings – this morning.
Ramaphosa was elected to the highest office in the land during a sitting of the National Assembly on Friday.
"This is a historic juncture in the life of our country, which requires that we must work and act together to entrench our Constitutional democracy and the rule of law, with a clear intent to build a South Africa for all its people.
“It is with this in mind that I hereby declare that I accept the mission you are giving me. To work with you all to serve the people of South Africa,” he said at the time.
The President-elect will lead South Africa’s seventh administration since the dawn of democracy. This follows the general elections held on 29 May 2024.
Celebration
The South Lawns of the Union Buildings is expected to be a sea of music and dance this morning as local artists will perform ahead of the start of the formal proceedings.
“The cultural programme is a platform for local artists to showcase their talent and for us as a nation to share South Africa’s cultural diversity with our guests.
“This production will feature a combination of music genres and other cultural and artistic performances that will have a cross-over appeal that reflects our achievements in the past 30 years of our democracy,” the Presidency said in a statement.
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The cultural programme will be followed by the formal ceremony which will feature ceremonial elements from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
These elements include:
- a 21-gun salute.
- A salute flight by the South African Air Force (SAAF).
- Inspection of a South African National Defence Force Battalion.
- A Battalion march past, and
- A massed fly past
At a state of readiness briefing held over the weekend, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, reflected on the importance of the Inauguration.
“The Inauguration [brings] together South Africans from all backgrounds, walks of life and political orientation, united in our diversity.
“It offers us an occasion to celebrate our democratic values and system of governance, including the agreed commitment of our body politic that the Seventh Administration will be one led by a Government of National Unity,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za
