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WORLD NEWS Friday 16 February 2018
South African limbo ends with new president, Cyril Ramaphosa

Even so, the 65-year-old Ra- try and find a way of work-
maphosa delivered a mea- ing together." Chief Justice
sured, conciliatory speech Mogoeng Mogoeng pre-
to lawmakers in a chamber sided over the parliamen-
that had been the scene tary election as well as a
of heckling and some- separate swearing-in cere-
times scuffles during ap- mony for Ramaphosa, who
pearances by Zuma, who had been Zuma’s deputy
resigned late Wednesday and in December was nar-
after protracted discussions rowly elected leader of the
with ANC leaders who told ruling party over Zuma’s ex-
him to step down or face a wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-
parliamentary motion of no Zuma. Noting the celebra-
confidence. "I will try very tions by the ruling party
hard not to disappoint the legislators after days of na-
people of South Africa," tional anxiety over whether
Ramaphosa said soon af- or when Zuma would re-
ter he was nominated as sign, the robed chief justice
an unopposed presidential said: “I’m trying to adapt
candidate and elected by to the environment. I’m not
his party. He said the issue used to it. In a court of law,
of corruption and misman- no singing is allowed.”
Cyril Ramaphosa is sworn in as South African President by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, left, agement is on "our radar “We will hold you account-
in Cape Town, South Africa Thursday Feb. 15, 2018. Ramaphosa on Thursday was elected unop- screen" and that one of his able and I will see you in
posed as South Africa's new president by ruling party legislators after the Wednesday resignation first aims is to meet rival par- 2019 on the ballot box,”
of Jacob Zuma. ty leaders so that "we can Maimane said. q
(Mike Hutchings / Pool via AP)
By N. NTSHANGASE the early 1990s, was elect-
C. TORCHIA ed by jubilant ruling party
CAPE TOWN, South Africa legislators anxious to shed
(AP) — Cyril Ramaphosa political limbo and get the
became South Africa's leadership of the country
president with a message back on track. In an indica-
of clean government and tion of the challenges fac-
inclusiveness on Thursday, ing Ramaphosa, the two
stirring the hopes of many main opposition parties did
South Africans that he can not participate in the Na-
reverse a corrosive period tional Assembly vote, argu-
of decline and division un- ing it was a sham process
der his predecessor, Jacob because the ruling African
Zuma. National Congress party
Ramaphosa, a lead nego- was tainted by its associa-
tiator in the transition from tion with corruption scan-
apartheid to democracy in dals during the Zuma era.

Russia blocks opposition

leader Navalny's website

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's jected the report and won
communications provid- a court ruling that ordered
ers on Thursday blocked Navalny to remove the in-
access to the website of vestigation as an unlawful
opposition leader Alexei intrusion into the tycoon's
Navalny on orders of the privacy. Navalny refused,
state communications and appealed the ruling.
watchdog. Navalny an- A statement Thursday from
nounced the move via his Deripaska’s Basic Element
Twitter account, which was company said: “Mr. Deri-
still accessible. Users going paska’s claim is to protect
to the website were told his right to privacy, and has
it could not be reached. nothing to do with any po-
The agency, Roskomnad- litical struggle between Mr.
zor, had demanded that Navalny and his political
Navalny remove a video opponents.” Navalny’s in-
alleging that Deputy Prime vestigation drew from the
Minister Sergei Prikhodko social media account of
received lavish hospital- a woman who claims to
ity from billionaire Oleg have had an affair with De-
Deripaska. Deripaska re- ripaska. q