Ramaphosa Toasts Trump on Election Win: “Congratulations to the US President Elect”
- President Cyril Ramaphosa raised his glass to US President-elect Donald Trump on winning the race to the White House
- In his message, Ramaphosa said he looked forward to strengthening cooperative ties with the US ahead of the G20
- Trump defeated his Democratic challenger and Vice President Kamala Harris after swooning voters in key battleground states
Source: Getty Images
TSHWANE — President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the global leaders who congratulated Donald Trump on his US presidential election win on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.
Ramaphosa raised a glass to his counterpart, sharing that he looked forward to strengthened ties as South Africa assumes the presidency of the G20 in 2025.
Ramaphosa toasts Trump on win
Even before the final votes were tallied, Trump emerged as the winner after crossing the 270-vote electoral college threshold.
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The result ensured that the former 45th president defeated his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the second female candidate to be beaten by Trump after fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton two terms ago.
In the 2020 election race, the billionaire businessman faced off against outgoing President Joe Biden — his original opponent who dropped out a few months before millions of Americans took to the polls — and lost.
In his second bite at the cherry, voters across battleground states — Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — ensured his victory.
With the voting in the remaining key states, Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada, yet to be finalised, data showed that Trump led Harris at the time of publication.
There are 538 electoral college votes, and the candidate who passes the 270 threshold wins the race.
The Republican candidate's 279 before vote completion in the remaining battlegrounds put paid to the race.
In his diplomatic message, Ramaphosa wrote:
"Congratulations to United States president-elect, @realDonaldTrump, on your return to the presidency. I look forward to continuing the close and mutually beneficial cooperation between our nations across [the different] domains. In the global arena, we look forward to our presidency of the G20 in 2025, where we will work closely with the US, who succeed us in 2026."
US dollar strengthens against rand
In related news, Briefly News reported that the markets reacted to Donald Trump's presidential election triumph.
The proverbial second coming for the 78-year-old, the oldest incoming president in US history, did little to inspire confidence in the rand.
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Source: Briefly News
