What does South Africa’s new President Cyril Ramaphosa think about LGBT rights?

South Africa’s new President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken office after the departure of the embattled Jacob Zuma.

Ramaphosa, who had already been named head of the African National Congress, was sworn in as President today after the dramatic departure of Zuma, who resigned in the face of corruption allegations.

The new President, who served as Zuma’s deputy from 2014 until this week, has a broadly positive record on LGBT rights.

As chairperson of the country’s Constitutional Assembly in the 1990s, Ramaphosa was a key player in the decision to extend constitutional protection to gay people – a world first at the time.

The Constitution states: “The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.

“No person may unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds [above]”.

Newly appointed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa gestures as he delivers a speech after being elected by the Members of Parliament during his swearing in ceremony at the Parliament in Cape Town, on February 15, 2018. (Photo by MIKE HUTCHINGS/AFP/Getty Images)

Just a few months ago he recorded a video for an event celebrating the country’s LGBT community, in which he pledged his support for equality and praised the “beautiful humanity” of LGBT people.

In the clip, Ramaphosa said: “It is a sad truth that in our nation the LGBTI community are amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised. They suffer discrimination, violence and abuse.

“We must as a nation do better than what we are now.

“We are all born the way we are. We need to support, embrace and respect each other.