‘I wish you great success’ – Raila pens message to Ramaphosa after re-election

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has extended his congratulations to Cyril Ramaphosa following his re-election as the President of South Africa.

Ramaphosa, the leader of the African National Congress (ANC), secured his second term with the support of lawmakers from opposition parties, culminating in a historic political agreement.

Ramaphosa's re-election

Ramaphosa’s ANC, which has held power since 1994 following its fight against apartheid, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in a recent election.

This led to two weeks of intense negotiations with other political parties. As the newly elected parliament convened, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen announced that his party had signed a governing agreement with the ANC, which included supporting Ramaphosa’s presidency.

During a secret ballot in a marathon parliamentary session, Ramaphosa secured his second term with 283 votes, defeating Julius Malema, the leader of the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who received 44 votes.

Ramaphosa hailed the agreement as a “new birth, a new era for our country,” calling for unity among the political parties to overcome their differences and work together.

Raila, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, lauded Ramaphosa for his dedication to promoting positive change in South Africa and beyond.

Raila expressed his best wishes for Ramaphosa’s upcoming term.

"Congratulations, President Cyril Ramaphosa, on your re-election! Your commitment to promoting positive change and unity in South Africa and across the continent is admirable. I wish you great success in the coming term. Well done," Raila said in a social media post.

Cyril Ramaphosa first gained national prominence as the secretary general of South Africa's largest trade union, the National Union of Mineworkers. In 1991, he was elected ANC secretary general under Nelson Mandela and played a key role in negotiating the end of apartheid.

Ramaphosa break

After South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, Ramaphosa served as the chairperson of the Constitutional Assembly. Despite being seen by some as Mandela’s preferred successor, Ramaphosa left politics in 1996 to become a prominent businessman.

He returned to politics in 2012, serving as deputy president under Jacob Zuma from 2014 to 2018, and became president of the ANC in 2017.

Ramaphosa succeeded Zuma as South Africa's president in February 2018 and won his first full term in 2019. He also served as chairperson of the African Union from 2020 to 2021 and led South Africa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ramaphosa’s net worth was estimated at over R6.4 billion ($450 million) as of 2018. He has faced criticism for his business dealings, particularly his involvement with Lonmin during the Marikana miners' strike, which led to the Marikana massacre.

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