Following the pomp and ceremony of the inauguration marking President Cyril Ramaphosa's second term, attention now turns to the crucial task of appointing a cabinet made up of people from different parties.
The nation’s hope is that the men and women asked to serve at this level will not only put aside their party differences and serve the country with honour, but also cohere in their pursuit of what is the national interest.
The formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) will no doubt require deft management and political nous to remain sustainable. Doubts linger over how consensus will be reached on key governance issues. Will Ramaphosa need to consult at every turn to ensure his GNU partners don’t speak out of turn? As the nation waits for the president to name his cabinet, the next few days become key.
Beyond the GNU, Ramaphosa faces additional though needless drama of dealing with his predecessor, ex-president Jacob Zuma, who, through his absence at Wednesday’s inauguration, confirmed he has firmly taken his position as a bitter rival to the Ramaphosa administration.
Zuma's new MK Party has launched a court challenge seeking to invalidate the election results and calling for new elections. Zuma has also indicated, strangely, that he remained an ANC member even though his new party dealt a serious blow to the ANC in the recent election.
Despite these challenges, the hope is that Ramaphosa will navigate them effectively to ensure that government initiatives aimed at job creation and economic development remain on track.
In his inauguration speech, Ramaphosa asserted his readiness to confront these challenges directly, saying: “We must reject every attempt to divide or distract us, to sow doubt or cynicism, or to turn us against one another. Those who seek to undermine our institutions will fail.”
As Ramaphosa embarks on the next five years, this is his opportunity to rectify past shortcomings and fulfil the promises he made.
His first five years have been marred by a lot of blemishes. From his questionable acts which led to his dealings at his Phala Phala farm being brought under the spotlight, to a scathing State Capture report that implicated some individuals who held crucial positions in his administration, to the resignation of the speaker of parliament over alleged fraud and corruption allegations.
While Ramaphosa must still undo the damage wrought by natural disasters such as floods and a freak hurricane, the country is still smarting from the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the July 2021 riots, an economy that is on its knees, unemployment and more.
As the president promised to put South Africans first regardless of race, class, creed, or party affiliation, time will tell whether this is one of those grand speeches full of sound and beautiful turn of phrase, signifying nothing (to borrow a phrase), or if this marks a significant shift. This is his chance to forge a lasting legacy.
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