On Wednesday, Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the first sitting of the National Assembly shortly after being duly elected as the President of the Republic of South Africa.
This is an abridged version of President Ramaphosa's speech to MPs:
I am truly honoured and humbled to have been elected to serve as President of the Republic of South Africa. It is a responsibility that I will discharge with the greatest of care and to the best of my ability.
It is a responsibility that I undertake mindful of the needs, aspirations and expectations of the people of this land. It has been two weeks since the people of South Africa went to the polls to elect the Honourable Members now gathered in this House.
They did so in peace, with pride and with dignity. I applaud all South Africans who took part in the voting process. After a hotly contested and often discordant election campaign, the people of South Africa have had their say.
Our people have spoken clearly and they have spoken quite emphatically. In its composition, this House is a reflection of the will of the people. Together, we are their representatives and we must regard ourselves as their champions.
Together, despite our different party affiliations, we carry a common mandate – to build a new nation in which all may be free, secure and equal. Free from poverty, hunger and unemployment.
We have a mandate to build a nation founded on the principles of social justice, solidarity and equality; a nation at peace with itself and the world. We have been given a responsibility to revive our economy, to rebuild our institutions and to restore hope.
The people of this country expect us to work together, to collaborate, to seek consensus and to effect change.
Certainly, they expect a robust exchange of views, they understand that we may often differ, but they expect that we will always honour their wishes and remain true to our mandate. Their house must never degenerate into chaos and disorder.
As we enter the 6th democratic administration, please be assured of my personal commitment and the commitment of the incoming Executive to fulfil these obligations.
Please be assured of our commitment to work with Parliament and all the parties represented here to create the conditions for meaningful social and economic transformation.
* For more stories about South Africa's 6th democratic Parliament visit IOL's
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