Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in for a five-year term as South Africa’s President on Saturday, with a delicate fight against government corruption ahead of him.
The inauguration followed his ruling African National Congress party’s 57.5% victory in this month’s election. It was the party’s weakest election showing since the ANC took power at the end of the harsh system of racial apartheid in 1994.
Mr. Ramaphosa first took office last year after former President Jacob Zuma was pressured to resign amid corruption scandals that badly damaged public faith in the ANC. A former protégé of South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela, Mr. Ramaphosa is seen by many as having the potential to clean up both the government and the ruling party’s reputation. Without him the ANC likely would have received just 40% of the vote, one party leader, Fikile Mbalula, has said.
There was no sign at Saturday’s ceremony of Mr. Zuma, who has insisted he did nothing wrong and that allegations are politically motivated. His allies within the ANC leadership pose a challenge to Mr. Ramaphosa as he pursues reforms.
Ahead of the election Mr. Ramaphosa apologised to South Africans for the political turmoil. He also vowed to continue the fight against mismanagement and graft that has hurt the country’s economy, the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa.
