Kaunda Selisho

By Kaunda Selisho

Journalist


Mandela family happy to see Ramaphosa ascend

This comes 25 years after Madiba first took his oath of office.


According to former president Nelson Mandela’s eldest grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela, his grandfather would have been happy to witness Cyril Ramaphosa’s swearing in as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa.

“We are very happy as a family that what my grandfather had seen so many years ago has been fulfilled,” said Mandela in an interview with EWN during today’s presidential inauguration in Tshwane.

It is widely known that Ramaphosa was Mandela’s prefered presidential candidate as the pair were very close.

However, Thabo Mbeki ended up taking on the baton after Madiba due to the party’s preferred path to the presidency.

“A lot of South Africans hopes are vested in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership and the new dawn has ushered in,” Mandela told the publication.

He went on to add that he hopes issues such as the plight of rural communities in addition to the biggest issues plaguing the nation today get the attention they need from the president.

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