Cyril Ramaphosa Elected as New President of South Africa

One day after the resignation of Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa, the country's parliament elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the new president. Cyril Ramaphosa, 65, has announced that he will focus his agenda on eradicating administrative corruption and reviving economic growth. According to the Associated Press, Cyril Ramaphosa was the only candidate eligible for selection in parliament on Thursday, February 15, as opposition parties announced they would not participate in the process. Members of South Africa's opposition parties stated that they believe the ruling party has supported Zuma for years despite financial scandals, deeming the ruling party's plans to eradicate corruption under the new president as unbelievable, and they walked out of parliament. Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party, said on Thursday that lawmakers from the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), have been unable to hold Jacob Zuma accountable for corruption allegations and have violated the constitution by doing so. Reports indicate that opposition parties did not participate in the election of the new president, but instead succeeded in dissolving the National Council and have managed to place early elections on the government's agenda. Cyril Ramaphosa is set to hold the presidency for the remainder of Jacob Zuma's term until the 2019 elections. Jacob Zuma resigned on Wednesday after nine years in office, a presidency marred by numerous corruption scandals that have tarnished the reputation of the ruling party, the ANC. Meanwhile, South African police raided the homes of several of Mr. Zuma's business associates on Wednesday, who are said to be involved in financial corruption cases. Financial corruption within the South African government has incited public outrage, weakened the country's economy, and diminished the popularity of the ANC. The ANC has held power in South Africa since 1994, following the end of white minority rule. Jacob Zuma ultimately succumbed to the demands of the ruling ANC party and resigned on Wednesday. Mr. Zuma had previously resisted the ruling party's calls for his resignation, stating that he had done nothing wrong. However, this resistance had opened the door for his impeachment, which was set to be voted on Thursday. ANC officials stated that 'the people of this country can no longer wait for these anti-corruption reforms,' indicating their intention to stabilize the economy through the actions of the new president.