A remarkable new era begins in South Africa

If Archbishop Tutu were still alive he might have added the events of June 14th to his list of feats. Members of parliament were set to re-elect Cyril Ramaphosa as South Africa’s president, with the 71-year-old now expected to form a “government of national unity”. The coalition, anchored by Mr Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) and the erstwhile official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), was necessitated by the results of elections held on May 29th. The ANC won just 40.2% of the vote, depriving it of its parliamentary majority for the first time. To gain the support of most MPs Mr Ramaphosa could have joined with dangerous populist parties. Instead he and his new partners have swiftly opted for a government that adheres to the values of the 1994 settlement and has a chance of overseeing vital reforms. Its formation will reflect well on the rainbow nation’s fledgling democracy.