South Africa: New President Cyril Ramaphosa to address corruption in first talk after assuming role

South Africa's new President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing to give his first state of the nation address to a country with high expectations as he vows to curb corruption that flourished under his predecessor.

Ramaphosa, elected by ruling party lawmakers yesterday, returns to parliament this evening to deliver the speech amid speculation that he might reshuffle his Cabinet to remove ministers associated with alleged graft at state-owned enterprises under Jacob Zuma.

The South African currency, the rand, has strengthened against the dollar since Ramaphosas ascent, but the new president faces the long-term problem of sluggish economic growth and unemployment of over 25 per cent.

Zuma resigned Wednesday, opening the way for Ramaphosa to become South Africa's fifth president since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Meanwhile, Matshela Koko, a former acting chief executive of South Africa's sole power provider who has been at the heart of corruption allegations at the state utility, has resigned, a spokesman for Eskom said on Friday.

Koko, who recently returned as Eskom executive for generation, was accused of violating procurement rules by giving contracts to a firm where his stepdaughter was a director but was acquitted in a disciplinary hearing.

He resigned as a new disciplinary hearing into his conduct got under way on Friday.

Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said Koko had written to the company asking to resign with immediate effect but that he did not admit wrongdoing in his resignation letter.

Last month the government appointed a new board at struggling Eskom as part of a drive to improve governance and stave off financing difficulties.

Since the new Eskom board was appointed in January, several other prominent executives have resigned. Eskom also suspended its chief information officer over a scandal involving global consultancy McKinsey.

Cyril Ramaphosa was elected as South Africa's president in a parliamentary vote on Thursday and pledged to tackle endemic corruption after scandal-ridden Jacob Zuma resigned on orders from the ruling African National Congress. (