John AdoyiIn a historic move, South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, announced his new cabinet on Sunday, allocating 12 ministerial slots to opposition parties that formed a national unity coalition.
This comes after the African National Congress (ANC), the party that has held power since the end of Apartheid in 1994, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in the 29th May election.
The national unity government was formed after weeks of intense negotiations between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA). The DA secured 87 parliamentary seats, amounting to 22 per cent of the vote, while the ANC won 159 seats, or 40 per cent of the vote.
President Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of inclusive governance, stating, “We must ensure all parties are able to participate meaningfully in the national executive as well as various parliamentary positions.”
According to the announcement, the ANC retained the majority of ministerial positions with 20 key slots, including foreign affairs, finance, defense, justice, and police. The DA, the largest opposition party in the coalition, will hold six portfolios, including home affairs, environment, and public works. Other smaller coalition members, such as the Patriotic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus, received the remaining six slots, which cover land reform, correctional services, sports, tourism, and public service.
In his speech, President Ramaphosa, remarked that, “The establishment of the Government of National Unity in its current form is unprecedented in the history of our democracy.”
He further outlined the new government’s priorities, stating, “The incoming government will prioritise rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and the creation of a more just society by tackling poverty, inequality, and unemployment.”
