The country might have a new president as early at 2pm today.
News reports said that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng’s, who will swear in the new President, is available today and not tomorrow.
In an email sent out by the office of ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu on Wednesday night, it was noted that Mogoeng would make himself available on Thursday afternoon.
The email read, “The chief whip of the majority party has been informed by the Speaker (Baleka Mbete) that the chief justice is making himself available after the motion of no confidence to officiate in the election of the new president of South Africa. This item was scheduled for Friday morning. We are now moving it forward to Thursday afternoon or evening.”
The motion of no confidence has been scrapped after Jacob Zuma resigned as the president in a late night announcement on Wednesday.
The new appointment of President will most likely take place at the same time the motion of no confidence was meant to happen, at 2pm.
The State of the Nation address has been scheduled for 7pm on Friday evening.
Last night, Jacob Zuma stepped down as the President of South Africa in a press briefing.
He said, “I have come to the decision to resign as President of the Republic with immediate effect. Even though I disagree with the decision of the leadership of my organisation, I have always been a disciplined member.”
In a speech that lasted 15 minutes Zuma said he was forever indebted to the ANC, the liberation movement he served almost all his life.
This morning, Cyril Ramaphosa was out jogging on the Sea Point promenade with former finance minister Trevor Manuel, they caused quite a stir. Locals congratulated him and called him the new president of South Africa. Pictures of Ramaphosa with joggers flooded social media, it was a new dawn indeed.
Picture: Twitter