Cyril Ramaphosa is currently the Acting President of the Republic following the late night resignation by former President Jacob Zuma, which left a vacancy in the Office of the President.
The Deputy President has already been sworn in as Acting President, according to the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
“According to Section 90(4) of the Constitution, a person who as Acting President has already sworn to or affirmed to faithfulness to the Republic does not need to repeat the swearing in or affirming procedure for any subsequent term as Acting President. As such the Deputy President will not be sworn in again as Acting President,” said the GCIS in a statement on Thursday.
The former President Zuma’s resignation created a vacancy in the office of the President which is automatically filled by the sitting Deputy President as prescribed by the Constitution of the country.
The Acting President will steer the ship until the National Assembly elects the new President of the Republic.
National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has already announced that Parliament will fill the vacancy of the President of South Africa this afternoon. The sitting has been set down for 2pm.
Once a new President is elected, Parliament has made a provisional plan for the President to deliver the 2018 State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Friday, 16 February.
Following the SONA, Parliament anticipates that there will be a joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on Monday to debate the President’s State of the Nation Address; the President’s reply to the debate will take place on Tuesday and the Budget Speech will take place at 2pm on 21 February.