South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa has been sworn in for a second term – despite his party ANC suffering a catastrophic defeat at the end of May.
Following historic negotiations, an agreement was finally reached on Friday between ANC and the main opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA), enabling Ramaphosa to be re-elected.
The formation of a government built on national unity is a moment of enormous significance. It is the beginning of a new era, said the 71-year-old in connection with the formal inauguration.
The governing coalition also includes several smaller parties – but not the scandal-ridden former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), despite the party becoming the third largest in the election. ANC, which has dominated South African politics since the fall of the apartheid regime, received a historically low 40 per cent and was therefore forced to seek coalition partners.
Several African leaders were present at Wednesday's ceremony in Pretoria, which is South Africa's administrative capital and the seat of government and the presidency.
