With the presidential inauguration done, focus shifts on opening of Parliament
Ramaphosa took his oath of office for second term as President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa during his inauguration speech at the Union Buildings on 19 June 2024. Picture: Xanderleigh Dookey Makhaza/Eyewitness News
PRETORIA - With President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration done and dusted, much focus will move back to Parliament for the opening of Parliament address.
Ramaphosa took his oath of office for second term as President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Ramaphosa is expected to first announce his cabinet - which will include ministers from the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) as part of the Government of National Unity.
Following Ramaphosa’s election by the National Assembly last week, and Wednesday's inauguration, proceedings will now move back to the legislature for the official opening.
Ramaphosa’s opening of Parliament address according to the new rules, is distinct from the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which he delivered in February and will signal the official opening of the seventh parliament.
Parliament will also start the process of establishing committees where the newly sworn-in Members of Parliament (MPs) will serve as members.
In terms of the assembly rules, the speaker must, with the concurrence of the rules committee, establish portfolio committees and assign a portfolio of government affairs to each committee as well as determine a name and the composition in each case.
But the configuration of the committees will depend on the size of Ramaphosa’s cabinet which the president will announce any day from now.