South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa today visited President Bola Tinubu in his hotel room to thank the Nigerian leader for being a part of his (Ramaphosa’s) inauguration.
Ramaphosa, who then held a bilateral meeting with Tinubu expressed delight at the visit and promised greater engagement with the Nigerian leader.
Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term in office in Wednesday. Some commentators reported (wrongly) that Tinubu and other African leaders were snubbed at the event.
Ajuri Ngelale, the Presidential Spokesman, revealed that before the closed-door meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Johannesburg, President Ramaphosa congratulated President Tinubu for accepting the invitation to his inauguration.
“Thank you so much for coming for the inauguration. I was very happy to see my brother at the ceremony,” the South African President said.
Tinubu stated that President Ramaphosa’s inauguration speech addressed the majority of the difficulties that African nations confront, as well as the need for more collaboration among leaders and citizens to find answers.
“I really enjoyed your speech at the ceremony. I was delighted listening to you. We have lots of issues in common, and we need to work more closely together. It was a good celebration,” Tinubu stated.
Tinubu also used the meeting to call for collaboration to find answers to the difficulties facing the African continent.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, President Ramaphosa was re-elected to a second term after the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) reached an agreement to form a Government of National Unity.
Ramaphosa, according to a twitter report by @DOlusegun, further stated:
“I’m honoured and privileged to have President Tinubu attend my inauguration yesterday. It lifted my spirits and that of South Africans as a whole that the President of Africa’s biggest nation will attend our inauguration. I have come to pay my deepest respects to him and also discuss matters that unite both of our countries.”
