Andrew Stegmann

South Africa Has a New President

15 February saw the South African Parliament’s voting in of Cyril Ramaphosa as the country’s new President. This, after Jacob Zuma scheduled a press conference late on Wednesday to announce his resignation, stating that while he disagrees with the ANC’s decision to force him out, he will not defy the party he has been a member of for so many years.

Opposition parties wished their new leader well, but cautioned that Ramaphosa has a tough job ahead of him, in reunifying the nation, and rectifying the numerous problems they believe were brought about during Zuma’s tenure.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng presided over the vote. Ramaphosa was the only MP nominated.

South Africa’s new President is no stranger to political leadership positions. Aside from being the country’s Deputy President since 2014, Ramaphosa was the Deputy President of the ANC from 2012 to 2017; and its Secretary General from 1991 to 1997. He also acted as his party’s Chief Negotiator during South Africa’s transition to democracy. Despite being former President Nelson Mandela’s choice for his successor, the ANC put forward Thabo Mbeki instead.

The ruling African National Congress announced Cyril Ramaphosa as its new President in December 2017.

Outside of politics, Ramaphosa has many other bold achievements, including building up the most powerful trade union in South Africa; the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). The President has also built a name for himself in the business world. Having held notable ownership in companies such as McDonald’s South Africa; and being chair of the board for cellular operator MTN, and member of the board for mining company Lonmin, Ramaphosa has amassed a net worth of over $450 million.

The President’s wife, and the new First Lady of South Africa, Tshepo Motsepe, is a medical doctor, having worked over the years in both public and private practice. She has served as Non-executive director of the Wits Health Consortium, and as a board member of both the Vaal Reefs Disaster Trust and the Kids Haven Foundation. She is currently the chairperson of the African Self Help Trust, which focuses on Early Childhood Development and Education.

Tshepo is the sister of South African businessman Patrice Motsepe, one of the wealthiest Africans, who is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, which has interests in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum. The First Lady is also the sister of mining businesswoman Bridgette Radebe, who is married to Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe.

The rand has strengthened since Ramaphosa’s taking the helms, and a strengthened economy and renewed foreign investment in South Africa are expected in the coming months.

The first major test for the new President will be in seeing who he retains and who he replaces in his new cabinet. He is facing increasing pressure from both opposition parties and his own party to fire certain ministers who are seen as incompetent, as soon as possible. These include Minister of Finance Malusi Gigaba, as well as Des Van Rooyan, Faith Muthambi, Bathabile Dlamini, David Mahlobo, and Mosebenzi Zwane. Also among those Ramaphosa is being pressured to replace is Director of the National Prosecuting Authority Shaun Abrahams, who is currently overseeing the process of deciding whether hundreds of corruption charges will be brought against Jacob Zuma.

President Ramaphosa is set to deliver his first State of the Nation (SONA) address tonight.
This will be followed by the SONA debate on Monday 19 February, and the 2018 Budget Speech on Wednesday 21 February.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. Image sources: Government Communication and Information System [1], African National Congress [2].

Andrew Stegmann

ANC Leaders Recalled Zuma. The President Refused To Go.

After a 13-hour meeting that stretched from yesterday into the early hours of this morning, the six seniormost leaders of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to instruct South African President Jacob Zuma to resign immediately.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and Secretary General Ace Magashule then drove to Zuma’s official residence in Pretoria to give him an ultimatum to resign or face a recall. The President refused to resign.

Zuma is said to have demanded to stay on at the Union Buildings for another three months, to attend at least two upcoming events. The NEC rejected his conditions.

Now, it is up to Parliament to remove the President by means of a motion of no confidence vote. The EFF, an opposition party, has tabled such a vote, and requested that Speaker Baleka Mbete inform the public of a date for the vote by 10am today. A majority ‘leave’ vote would be required out of all Members of Parliament to remove the President.

Zuma is facing over 700 corruption charges, with an imminent announcement by Shaun Abrahams, the National Director of Public Prosecutions, as to whether the President will be prosecuted.

In light of recent developments – with growing economic uncertainty, political instability, and pressure from the public – those on the NEC who do not persist with support for Zuma are eager to resolve the matter of his exit. Doing so would boost investor confidence, stabilize Parliament, allow for the 2018 State of the Nation Address to take place, and give SA citizens the sense of relief they deserve after a number of tumultuous years.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image source: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

South African State of the Nation Address Postponed

South African National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has announced that the State of the Nation Address has been postponed. The Address was scheduled to take place on 8 February, but was cancelled due to the current political climate.

Mbete added that as Parliament was preparing to write to President Jacob Zuma to request the postponement of his address, he was already doing the same.

Zuma has confirmed that he wrote to the Parliament’s presiding officers to request a postponement of the State of the Nation Address. In a statement issued earlier today‚ Zuma said only that the request was “due to certain developments” that made delivering the SONA untenable.

The postponement comes after days of debate between South Africa’s major political parties as to the future of President Zuma. Major opposition parties, and many within the President’s party – the ANC – have united in their request for the President to voluntarily resign before the State of the Nation Address, so that it may be delivered by the ANC’s new President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

President Zuma potentially faces a motion of no confidence from his own party, as well potentially facing hundreds of corruption charges. Decisions about both are to be made in the coming weeks. Zuma has stated that he will only resign if the ANC’s top leadership tells him to. The ANC’s National Executive Committee will convene on 7 February to discuss the President’s fate.

This is the first time that the State of the Nation Address has been postponed. Speaker Mbete has stated that the SONA postponement decision was taken in the best interests of the country, and that a new SONA date will be set as soon as possible.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

 

Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4]. Image source: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

South Africa Stronger With Cyril?

If last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, is anything to go by, South Africans have a little bit more to be positive about heading into 2018.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the recently-elected President of the country’s ruling ANC, represented South Africa at the Forum, and presented a much more optimistic outlook than citizens have become accustomed to over the past few years.

Over the 4 days, Ramaphosa had an opportunity to engage with politicians and global business leaders, and present the case for forming partnerships with South Africa going forward. And he seized it.

Ramaphosa conveyed the sense that the country’s future is strong, with his focus being on unity, wise budgeting, and ridding the country of the corruption that has plagued it for so many years.

As a result, the nation’s credit rating is less likely to be lowered, and the rand has been trading stronger than usual, pushing past R12.00 to the dollar in the middle of last week, for the first time since May 2015 (although this is in part due to the weaker dollar).

The new ANC leadership has a chance to implement bold changes to the way South Africa is managed heading towards the 2019 general elections. These will, if Ramaphosa’s performance and outlook thus far are indications of what is to come, be for the betterment of all South Africans, and a very welcome shift in direction.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Source: [1]. Image source: [1].