President Cyril Ramaphosa participates in a dialogue with Colin Coleman, Goldman Sachs’ Sub-Saharan Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, at the Goldman Sachs’ investor conference at the Four Seasons Hotel, The Westcliff in Johannesburg.rrThe conference brought together chief executive officers, chief information officers, chief financial officers and chairpersons of leading companies and financial institutions across all industry sectors from South Africa and other parts of the continent. Photo: GCIS/Elmond Jiyane
The gates open at 3:00 on 25 May for members of the public are invited to Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Inauguration at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
President Cyril Ramaphosa participates in a dialogue with Colin Coleman, Goldman Sachs’ Sub-Saharan Africa’s Chief Executive Officer, at the Goldman Sachs’ investor conference at the Four Seasons Hotel, The Westcliff in Johannesburg.rrThe conference brought together chief executive officers, chief information officers, chief financial officers and chairpersons of leading companies and financial institutions across all industry sectors from South Africa and other parts of the continent. Photo: GCIS/Elmond Jiyane
Just one day to go before the Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Inauguration at Loftus Versfeld; excitement is brewing.
Cyril Ramaphosa has captured the imagination of South Africa with his promises of renewal after a decade of state-supervised looting and mismanagement of key portfolios.
Ramaphosa will officially begin his five-year term as he’s sworn into office at Loftus Versfeld on 25 May, with the official programme starting at 10:55.
This will mark the first time that the inauguration of the president happens outside of the Union Buildings. Loftus Versfeld, which is coincidentally the home of Steve Hofmeyr’s beloved Blue Bulls, can accommodate 37 000 people.
Approximately 32 000 South Africans will be in attendance at the presidential inauguration, along with 4 500 political guests.
Of the 32 000, approximately 22 000 of these attendees will be bussed in from Gauteng and neighbouring provinces with a further 10 000 “walk-ins”.
If you’re hoping to witness this historic day and lend your support to Cyril Ramaphosa as he begins his mission to turn the country around, you’ll need to wake up very early.
Actually, you’ll probably have to skip sleep altogether. In fact, members of the public hoping to become one of the 10 000 walk-ins will need accreditation to enter the stadium.
Accreditation will be issued at Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool, popularly called Affies, and will be open between 3:30 and 6:30 to the public.
There will also be road closures around the stadium. Park and ride facilities are also available from the Tshwane Events Centre to the accreditation centre. Shuttles will be running from 3:00 to 6:30. Scroll down for road closure details.
Cyril Ramaphosa will arrive at 10:55, which will be followed by inter-faith prayers and his swearing in by the chief justice. The president will then address the nation after which the South African Air Force will perform a flypast.
Notably, Loftus Versfeld has adequate ramp access for wheelchairs, and sign language interpreters will be on hand for the ceremony.
Road closures are announced ahead of the presidential inauguration as more than 200 buses from all nine provinces will arrive in Pretoria.
Road closures will go into effect from 15:00 on Friday until 22:00 on Saturday. Peruse the list below and apply for permits where applicable.
Please note however that only residents that will be affected by the street closures may collect permits. Scroll for details on how to obtain a permit.
The Tshwane Metro Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed at all street closures and other affected streets for traffic control and road closure monitoring.
All residents and road users must comply and work together with law enforcement officers to avoid any mishaps.
The City of Tshwane has urges residents of Loftus and Rietondale to collect permits from 17 May 2019 to 22 May 2019.
Residents must also bring along their identity documents, proof of residence and vehicle registration numbers to collect the permits.
“Residents in the Loftus vicinity must collect permits at Loftus Versfeld at the reception area in Kirkness Street where City of Tshwane staff will set up a desk to issue the permits. Those using vehicles to collect the permits can park at the open parking area at Loftus Park.
“Residents in Rietondale must collect their permits at the Rietondale Park Tennis Club in Van Der Merwe Street,” the City of Tshwane said.
Collect permits for both areas as follows:
Ramaphosa’s presidential inauguration has been described as minimalist as he cuts costs by R100m, compared to Zuma’s inauguration. In total, the event is estimated to cost about R120m.
Minister of the presidency, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, further explains that President Cyril Ramaphosa is “aware of the economic difficutly” in the country, and added:
“We chose the stadium because it is more cost-effective than the Union Buildings‚ which carry high preparation costs‚ in particular, the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre.”
In addition, the White House confirmed that its delegation would represent President Donald Trump at the Presidential Inauguration at Loftus Versfeld.
The US Delegation will include the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Kimberly Reed. However, no US Cabinet-level members will be in attendance.