By King’s Office Correspondents
His Majesty the King witnessed the seventh presidential inauguration here, where he joined a number of invited leaders from across the continent.
Notably, His Majesty has witnessed four South African presidents take the oath of office: the late President Nelson Mandela in 1994, President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki in 1999 and 2004, President Jacob Zuma in 2009 and 2014, and now Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019 and 2024.
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The king arrived at around 11:15 am accompanied by Inkhosikati LaFogiyane, who was ravishing in her purple outfit with a matching fascinator, and joined the thousands of guests at the event, including the former presidents and deputy presidents of South Africa.
His Majesty the King was seated front row on the immediate left hand of the President and his wife Dr Motsepe.
Conspicuous by his absence was former President Jacob Zuma, who broke ranks with his former party, the African National Congress (ANC), to form his own party,
the MK Party, which is now contesting the election results and indicated they would boycott the eventHeld under the theme ‘30 years of democracy, partnership and growth’, the inauguration took place at the Union Buildings,
a return to the norm after a departure from its inaugural location held at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria five years ago,
where attendees witnessed a parade by a full battalion of the South African Defence Force for the first time.
At that time, the government deployed about 200 buses from five provinces to transport the public to the stadium,
where they reserved 32 000 seats for the public and 4 500 seats for dignitaries from various sectors of the country. This came with about 29 street closures from Friday to Sunday.
The government arranged public viewing sites in nine provinces to accommodate those who couldn’t attend, a move they also made in some areas this year.
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Leaders from various faith-based denominations blessed the inauguration with prayers, while a 21-year-old poet gave an emotional rendition of praise singing, receiving a resounding applause and a hug from the president.
A 21-gun salute by the SA Defence Force echoed in the background as the national anthem was played.
The skies were soon decorated by a fly-past of the national flags by army helicopters before the president delivered his address that acknowledged the desire of the South African people through the ballot box.
“Today, I want to say, we have heard you,” he told the multitudes.
