Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa has received messages of congratulations from a number of Heads of State and Government during a round of telephone calls on Sunday afternoon.
This follows after Ramaphosa was elected unopposed and sworn in as the new President of the Republic of South Africa.
President Ramaphosa took the calls at his official residence in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa conducted discussions with President Joao Lourenco from Angola; Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Sultan Al Nahyan, Prime Minister Kjell Stefan Löfven of Sweden, Prime Minister Theresa May of the United Kingdom, and President Ian Khama Khama of Botswana.
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Locally, opposition parties have congratulated the 65-year-old Ramaphosa on his election in the National Assembly as a new President, but did not give him a free pass.
"President Ramaphosa, I want to on behalf of the DA congratulate you, wish you well and I want you to know, if you act in interests of the people of South Africa, we will cooperate as best we can," said Mmusi Maimane.
After delivering his maiden State of the Nation Address, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa reminded Ramaphosa that his rise to power was not due to just his party.
"Mr President, your abrupt rise to the highest office in the land is the collective efforts of the relentless struggles of people of South Africa from all walks of life against the then ANC deployed corrupt leader [Zuma]," said Holomisa.
On Thursday, the rand traded at R11.66 against the US dollar as Ramaphosa was announced as the new president of South Africa, following the resignation of former president, Jacob Zuma.