JOHANNESBURG — Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), took oath as the nation's president for the next five years on Wednesday at a ceremony in Pretoria, the administrative capital.

"As the President of the Republic, I will work with everyone to reach out and work with every political party and sector that is willing to contribute to finding solutions to the challenges our country faces as we transition to a new decade of freedom," Ramaphosa said in his address at the ceremony.

The ANC secured 159 out of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, for the first time falling below the 50 percent needed to maintain its 30-year-old outright majority in the lower house of parliament

Ramaphosa, 71, was re-elected as South African president by the National Assembly on June 14 with 283 votes against the other nominee, Julius Malema from the Economic Freedom Fighters, who received 44 votes.

READ MORE: South Africa's ANC will seek to form government of national unity

"We will invite all parties, civil society, labor, business and other formations to a national dialogue on the critical challenges facing the nation. We will seek, as we have done at so many important moments in our history, to forge a social compact to realize the aspirations of our National Development Plan," said Ramaphosa, emphasizing the significance of forming a government of national unity. 

In the general elections on May 29, the ANC secured 159 out of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, for the first time falling below the 50 percent needed to maintain its 30-year-old outright majority in the lower house of parliament.

READ MORE: Official results: S. Africa's ANC gains 159 seats in National Assembly

The ANC on Monday announced that a total of five political parties, including the ANC, the Democratic Alliance, the Inkatha Freedom Party, GOOD and the Patriotic Alliance, have officially signed a statement of intent to participate in the government of national unity.