South Africa announces new government, opposition gets 12 ministries

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new government on Sunday (June 30), with the opposition receiving 12 of the 32 portfolios following difficult coalition negotiations after the ruling ANC lost its parliamentary majority.

The African National Congress, which has ruled the country since democracy was declared in 1994, retained 20 of the 32 ministerial posts, including key ministries such as foreign affairs, finance, defence, justice and police.

The main coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance (DA), will hold six portfolios, including Home Affairs, Environment and Public Works. DA leader John Steenhuisen, 48, has been appointed Agriculture Minister.

The Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and other smaller parties won six votes in total, including on land reform, corrections, sports, tourism and public services.

“The establishment of the government of national unity in its current form is unprecedented in the history of our democracy,” Ramaphosa, 71, said in a televised address from Pretoria. He was re-elected for a second full term last week, to lead what his humble ANC party calls a government of national unity (GNU) after losing its overall majority in the May 29 general election. “The new government will prioritise rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and creating a fairer society by tackling poverty and inequality as well as unemployment,” he said. He added that it must “ensure that all parties can participate meaningfully in the national executive as well as in various parliamentary positions”.

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The only other time South Africa opted for a government of national unity was at the end of apartheid, with Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, the former head of government, overseeing the transition to democracy as executive deputy presidents.

Difficult negotiations

The ANC’s fall from grace came against a backdrop of high violent crime rates, a sluggish economy and a crippling energy crisis.

Ramaphosa’s highly anticipated announcement comes after weeks of difficult negotiations between the ANC and the DA, which won 87 parliamentary seats (22% of the popular vote) to the ANC’s 159 (40%).

The turbulent installation of the country’s new government has been met with criticism by the country’s left-wing parties, including the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, a new grouping formed months before the poll by the country’s former president, Jacob Zuma, 82.

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The MK party emerged from nowhere to win more than 14% of the national vote in a tense election and will now become the country’s official opposition after refusing to join the ANC’s broad coalition. Like the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), it rejected the ANC’s broad coalition with the DA, calling it an “unholy alliance led by whites”.

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The ANC had previously accused the DA of making “outrageous demands” for key cabinet positions in documents leaked to the press after weeks of closed-door negotiations.

The World with AFP

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