Just one day to go before the Cyril Ramaphosa's Presidential Inauguration at Loftus Versfeld; excitement is brewing.Cyril Ramaphosa has captured the imagination of South Africa with his promises of renewal after a decade of state-supervised looting and mismanagement of key portfolios.
Presidential Inauguration: Venue and timeRamaphosa will officially begin his five-year term as he's sworn into office at Loftus Versfeld on 25 May, with the official programme starting at 10:55.
This will mark the first time that the inauguration of the president doesn't happen at the Union Buildings. Loftus Versfeld, which is coincidentally the home of Steve Hofmeyr's beloved Blue Bulls, can accommodate 37 000 people.
Approximately 32 000 South Africans will be in attendance at the presidential inauguration, along with 4 500 political guests.
Of the 32 000, approximately 22 000 of these attendees will be bussed in from Gauteng and neighbouring provinces with a further 10 000 walk-ins .
Presidential Inauguration: Public viewingIf you're hoping to witness this historic day and lend your support to Cyril Ramaphosa as he begins his mission to turn the country around, you'll need to wake up very early.
Actually, you'll probably have to skip sleep altogether. In fact, members of the public hoping to become one of the 10 000 walk-ins will need accreditation to enter the stadium.
Accreditation will be issued at Afrikaans Ho r Seunskool, popularly called Affies, and will be open between 3:30 and 6:30 to the public.
There will also be road closures around the stadium. Park and ride facilities are also available from the Tshwane Events Centre to the accreditation centre. Shuttles will be running from 3:00 to 6:30. Scroll down for road closure details.
Cyril Ramaphosa will arrive at 10:55, which will be followed by inter-faith prayers and his swearing in by the chief justice. The president will then address the nation after which the South African Air Force will perform a flypast.
Notably, Loftus Versfeld has adequate ramp access for wheelchairs, and sign language interpreters will be on hand for the ceremony.
Presidential Inauguration: Road closuresRoad closures are announced ahead of the presidential inauguration as more than 200 buses from all nine provinces will arrive in Pretoria.
Road closures will go into effect from 15:00 on Friday until 22:00 on Saturday. Peruse the list below and apply for permits where applicable.
Please note however that only residents that will be affected by the street closures may collect permits. Scroll for details on how to obtain a permit.
Soutpansberg/Rietondale
Soutpansberg Road and Gordon Street
Soutpansberg Road and Wren Street
Woodlands Drive and Gordon Street
Tom Jenkins Drive and Soutpansberg Road
Soutpansberg Road and Van der Merwe Street
Nuffield Street and Soutpansberg Road
Soutpansberg Road and Parker Street
Rose Street and Parker Street
North Street and Nuffield Street
Van der Merwe Street and North Street
Lys Street and 18th Avenue
Kieser Street and Lys Street
Russel Street and Tom Jenkins Drive
Also Eastwood Street and Government Avenue
Loftus/Hatfield
Eastwood Street and Francis Baard Street
Orient Street and Francis Baard Street
Arcadia Street and Hill Street
Park Street and Hill Street
University Road and Burnett Street
Lynnwood Road and Roper Street
Jan Shoba Street and Lynnwood Road
Lynnwood Road and University Road
University Road and Walton Jameson Avenue
University Road and Justice Mahomed Street
Jorissen Street and Walton Jameson Avenue
Bond Street and Walton Jameson Avenue
Villa Street and Walton Jameson Avenue
Brecher Street and Walton Jameson Avenue
Ivy Street and Maple Street
Myrtle Street and Maple Street
Park Street and Beckett Street
Arcadia Street and Beckett Street
Farenden Street and Francis Baard Street
Kirkness Street and Park Street
Bond Street and Kirkness Street
Kirkness Street and Lynnwood Road
Bond Street and Farenden Street
Farenden Street and Park Street
Ayton Street and Farenden Street
Also Soutpansberg Road at the entrance of Rietondale Park for the park and ride.
Road closure permitsThe Tshwane Metro Police Department and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed at all street closures and other affected streets for traffic control and road closure monitoring.
All residents and road users must comply and work together with law enforcement officers to avoid any mishaps.
The City of Tshwane has urges residents of Loftus and Rietondale to collect permits from 17 May 2019 to 22 May 2019.
Residents must also bring along their identity documents, proof of residence and vehicle registration numbers to collect the permits.
Residents in the Loftus vicinity must collect permits at Loftus Versfeld at the reception area in Kirkness Street where City of Tshwane staff will set up a desk to issue the permits. Those using vehicles to collect the permits can park at the open parking area at Loftus Park.
Residents in Rietondale must collect their permits at the Rietondale Park Tennis Club in Van Der Merwe Street, the City of Tshwane said.
Collect permits for both areas as follows:
Friday, 17 May 2019, from 9:00 to 18:00
Saturday, 18 May 2019, from 14:00 to 18:00
Sunday, 19 May 2019, from 9:00 to 17:00
Monday, 20 May 2019, from 9:00 to 18:00
Tuesday, 21 May 2019, from 9:00 to 18:00
Wednesday, 22 May 2019, from 9:00 to 18:00
Ramaphosa's frugal Presidential InaugurationRamaphosa's presidential inauguration has been described as minimalist as he cuts costs by R100m, compared to Zuma's inauguration. In total, the event is estimated to cost about R120m.
Minister of the presidency, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, further explains that President Cyril Ramaphosa is aware of the economic difficutly in the country, and added:
We chose the stadium because
