Suspended head of Hawks
Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be elected president of South Africa in Parliament today after Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng confirmed his availability to the National Assembly for Thursday.
Ramaphosa is currently the country’s acting president, and will be officially elected in Parliament after Jacob Zuma resigned as head of state in a late night address to the public.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo on Thursday morning confirmed that Mogoeng told speaker Baleka Mbete that he would not be available on Friday, when the state of the nation address will be held.
The ANC’s caucus to plan the nomination of Ramaphosa is scheduled to be held in Parliament at 10am and the official election of Ramaphosa is expected at 2pm.
Section 86 of South Africa’s Constitution prescribes the procedure of electing a president and states that the process must be presided over by the Chief Justice or his designated authority.
Meanwhile the Economic Freedom Fighters said it would not vote for Ramphosa, but would not field its own candidate.
The Democratic Alliance confirmed that it will be nominating its own candidate for president, which would trigger an automatic secret ballot.
“The Zuma people are angry. I want to see if they are going to vote for Cyril Ramaphosa in a secret ballot,” DA leader Mmusi Maimane told the Mail & Guardian.