Cyril Ramaphosa officially became South Africa’s fourth elected black President in a ceremony that culminated formalities for the man who spent years as a ‘nearly man’.
In his home country, a World Bank bulletin says, he will be running one of the most unequal countries in the world, a relic of apartheid era that has been difficult to defeat, three decades on.
But around Africa, he may be the lantern light for the moths. In Kenya, Mr Ramaphosa enjoys an age-old bond with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, now AU High Representative for Infrastructure and Development.
The new South African president (he has been president since February last year, but was only sworn in for a proper term Saturday) once divided politicians in Kenya.
In 2008, amid the political heat from the post-election violence, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who had been seconded by the African Union to defuse tensions between PNU of Mwai Kibaki and ODM of Raila Odinga, nominated Mr Ramaphosa as the lead mediator.
It was a mistake. Despite having experience in trade union negotiations, and partial participation in UN missions, the PNU side rejected him, terming him biased. He quit the job.
PNU was alleging that Mr Ramaphosa’s business ties to Mr Odinga, including financing his campaigns, would make him an interested and biased party. Mr Annan would later describe this rejection and other issues as “childish obstacles” in his memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace.
Mr Ramaphosa would not be heard often in Kenya after this. He went to serve in South Africa’s government and oversee his business interests. A significantly wealthy politician, he remained one of South Africa’s most influential people.
In August 2012, Marikana mine massacre dragged his name into controversy after police killed dozens at the premises of Lonmin company, which he chaired. In public, he was accused of fuelling the killings by calling in armed police.
But a commission of inquiry exonerated him, saying there was no basis for the commission to find him guilty.
Mr Ramaphosa joined Lonmin via share purchases to control about 50.03 per cent of the company, worth Sh280 billion. Lonmin was once known as Lonrho Group and dealt in precious metals in Africa, including in Kenya.
Due to his wealth, he is seen as an elite politician, protecting the interests of white minorities in South Africa. Opposition Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema recently described him as “the same as the man he replaced: Jacob Zuma”, who himself was ousted for “state capture”.
Yet in his presidency, Mr Ramaphosa is now attracting politicians from both sides of the divide in Kenya. As deputy president in June 2015, he became the highest ranking South African politician to apologise to Africans on Kenyan soil for xenophobic attacks in South Africa, even though no Kenyan had been targeted.
And soon after he was sworn in as the leader of ANC in December 2017, Kenya’s Jubilee Party said they had established contact to model their administration on the ANC’s 100-year history and style.
“The longevity of these parties is of note, given the high mortality rate of our parties in Kenya after every election,” said Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju last year, suggesting ANC and the Communist Party of China would be benchmarks.
Then Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe and Mr Tuju visited the country when ANC celebrated its anniversary.
Now the President is Mr Ramaphosa, who must be in charge of implementing bilateral agreements with Kenya. Foreign Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, who attended the inauguration, Saturday said Kenya looks forward to “enhancing our strong relations at all levels”.
Last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga attended Mr Ramaphosa’s first inauguration.
South Africa bought goods worth Sh2 billion from Kenya and sold to Kenya Sh50 billion worth of goods and services in 2017.
