President Cyril Ramaphosa will today attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Democratic Republic of Congo President-elect, Félix Tshisekedi.
The Presidency says in a statement that Ramaphosa’s attendance of the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Kinshasa provides an opportunity to reaffirm the bilateral relations between South Africa and the DRC.
The newly appointed Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, Jeff Radebe will accompany Ramaphosa.
Meanwhile, supporters of Tshisekedi waited in long lines on Saturday to attend his inauguration, exactly one month after the opening of a controversial poll that secured his power for another five years.
Tshisekedi and his party won the December 20-24 general elections by a landslide but the vote was marred by widespread allegations of fraud, logistical shortcomings and disruptions.
The two opposition leaders, Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi, as well as others have called for a re-run, a demand authorities have dismissed.
The fallout threatens to further destabilise Congo, the world’s third-largest copper producer and the top producer of cobalt, a key component in electric car batteries. – additional info by Reuters
