United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety II on Wednesday joined the large crowd of South Africans from all walks of life, diplomats and several heads of State, local and international media representatives who streamed into the Union Buildings for the inauguration of President-elect Cyril Ramaphosa.
The African National Congress (ANC) president takes the reins of government for the second time, after his party formed a government of national unity (GNU) incorporating its decades-old arch rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other smaller political parties.
Speaking to broadcaster Newzroom Afrika on the sidelines of Ramaphosa’s grand inauguration at the Union Buildings, Brigety said history has been made, as South Africa has managed to unite, emerging from the May 29 elections where the ANC fell below 50% for the first time.
“It is a beautiful day in South Africa. First of all, this is an historic moment for South Africa, for the people of South Africa and democracy. The real test of any democracy is when the voters choose to change political leadership, and political parties respect that choice. I think the ANC deserves enormous credit for respecting the voice of the voters, as well as for upholding constitutional democracy,” he told the television channel.
“So this is a fantastic moment, not only for South African democracy, but for democracies around the world.”
The top American diplomat gave assurance that Washington would continue to support Pretoria, as the two nations have considerable trade and political ties.
“We will engage the government of the day and we will continue to work on our robust bilateral agenda, focusing on affirmative things like job creation, healthcare, logistics and the like.
As thousands of South Africans stream into the South Lawns, braving the chilly morning weather on Wednesday, security forces have appealed to attendees to abide with the law.
The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJoints) said it has rolled out a water-tight integrated plan focusing on venue security, route, transport, traffic control, sea, land, airport, border, accommodation security as well as crowd management capabilities.
The plan which incorporates various government departments led by the SA Police Service (SAPS), SA National Defence Force (SANDF) and the State Security Agency (SSA) is currently being implemented in all corners of the Gauteng province, according to spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
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