Magufuli to witness inauguration of South Africa’s Ramaphosa

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli has left for South Africa where he will participate in the swearing in ceremony of President-elect Cyril Ramaphosa tomorrow Saturday, May 25.

The inauguration ceremony is set to take place in Tshwane.

A statement issued by the director of Presidential Communications at State House, Mr Gerson Msigwa, on Friday, May 24, had it that the Head of State is leading a delegation comprising former President Jakaya Kikwete, CCM vice chairman (Mainland) Philip Mangula and Foreign Affairs minister Prof Palamagamba Kabudi.

“The above named leaders have left the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) aboard an Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) flight,” reads part of the statement.

Speaking separately before leaving the country, Mr Kikwete and Mr Mangula said Tanzania and South Africa share historical bilateral relations something the government and CCM were obliged to maintain.

Apart from the South Africa visit, President Magufuli will commence an official state visit to Namibia immediately after the inauguration of Ramaphosa where he is set to launch a street a named after Tanzania’s founding President, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, in recognition of his role in the liberation struggle of Southern African countries.

This is the first time that President Magufuli visits South Africa as Tanzania’s head of state almost four years after he was elected.

Mr Ramaphosa was on Wednesday afternoon declared the president by country’s Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.