South African lawmakers re-elect Cyril Ramaphosa as president

South African lawmakers have re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the country’s president after his African National Congress (ANC) set aside their rivalry with the Democratic Alliance to form a governing pact. Ramaphosa beat Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, in a National Assembly runoff on Friday, taking 283 votes to Malema’s 44. The ANC lost its majority in parliament for the first time this election since the end of apartheid in 1994. Ramaphosa said: “It is with pleasure that I accept. It will once again be a privilege. And a pleasure to serve this great nation in the position of president. I accept this as a big responsibility.“ John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance party, said: “I think we get an opportunity today to write a new chapter for South Africa and that chapter, I think, we can make the best chapter ever.“ Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected as South Africa’s president South Africa’s ANC strikes coalition deal with free-market DA