President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s hometown, Chiawelo, in Soweto is buzzing with excitement ahead of his inauguration on Saturday.
It’s just hours away and the sense of pride in Chiawelo is palpable.
Hitekani Primary School is where Ramaphosa cast his first vote in 2014 as Deputy President, and again as President this year.
Hitekani Primary School deputy principal Morag Ngwenya says, “His home is just next door to the school. So we call our neighbourhood the ‘presidential residence’. We are very excited; we don’t even know what to say. The children have even composed a song for him.”
Excitement and anxiety
Mandla Street, a place where the Ramaphosa spent his early days. But it’s at these school grounds at Sekano Ntoane High School in Mapetla where his political passion was ignited.
Those who went to school with him say they are proud to have one of their own as the country’s democratically elected President.
Speaking to the SABC in the same class he occupied with Ramaphosa at the Sekano-Ntoane Secondary in 1968, former president of the Socialist Party of Azania, Lybon Mabasa says it was clear from an early age that Ramaphosa was destined to reach great heights.
Mabasa adds, ” One thing I can say about Cyril, he liked constitutions. Every time we will form something Cyril will say I will do the constitution. So most probably we were not surprise when in 1994 he was given that responsibility of doing the Constitution.”
Another school mate, Beatrice Maluleke, is also beaming with pride.
“Cyril and his friends were always on top. They were very active; he showed his leadership skills when he was still a scholar like us.”
With Ramaphosa set to take oath of office on Saturday, Maluleke will be among scores of residents glued to their screens to witness Ramaphosa becoming the country’s number one citizen.
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