Political foes President Uhuru Kenyatta and National Super Alliance’s Raila Odinga have eventually agreed to work with newly elected South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was elected by parliament on Thursday, hours after the resignation of Jacob Zuma.
Both leaders have exuded confidence in the newly elected President, confirming his commitment to stir the growth of Africa’s leading economy. Mr Ramaphosa, however, is tasked with outdoing the humongous corruption in South Africa given his predecessor, Mr Zuma, is grappling with over 700 corruption charges.
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“We congratulate Cyril Ramaphosa for being elected the 5th Democratic President of the Republic of South Africa. We are confident that you will continue to steer South Africa to greater heights.
We also thank former President Jacob Zuma for his service to country and continent,” President Kenyatta tweeted Thursday evening.
Mr Odinga, on his part, termed Mr Ramaphosa as a dynamic leader, who held an excellent record of development in South Africa.
“All of Africa, now in so much need of inspirational figures, is confident that with your dynamic past and leadership history, the recent national and continental vacuum will shortly begin to be a thing of the past.
Your election yesterday is a victory not only for the African National Congress and South Africa but for all those forces across the continent still fighting for the full democratic and economic emancipation of all our people,” Mr Odinga said in a statement.
Uhuru in South Africa
Mid last month, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa held talks to strengthen the two governments and boost trade, movement of goods and people of the two nations.
The two leaders agreed that the two countries are never in competition, but in a partnership that complement each other in improving the lives of their citizens.
“The fate of Africa is tied at the hip and the relationships should foster partnerships that are beneficial to the citizens,” President Kenyatta said in January.
The talk were held by the two after a rapturous election as president of the African National Congress, the ruling party which on Wednesday mooted axing Mr Zuma and installing Mr Ramaphosa as the country’s president.
In his speech just after the elections, Mr Ramaphosa vowed to ‘open doors of business to Kenya’
Mr Ramaphosa added that ties between the two countries could be boosted by opening doors to the citizens to travel and do business without impediment.
“South Africa should open doors for Kenyans and Kenya should open doors for South Africans,” he said.
He said the two countries have a lot to share in exploitation and development of natural resources for the benefit of their citizens.
“We have a common heritage as people of Africa. What we need to do is to develop that relationship to a higher level to benefit our peoples and countries,” said Mr Ramaphosa.