South Africa’s opposition leader and 11 others receive ministerial appointments

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday the formation of a new government in which former opposition parties will gain 12 of 32 policy areas after the ruling ANC party lost its majority in parliament.

The African National Congress, which has governed the country since democracy took hold in 1994, retained 20 of 32 cabinet posts. They included key ministries such as foreign affairs, finance, defence, justice and police.

In a statement, the party hailed the president’s decision as “an important step forward and proof of the resilience of our democracy.”

The largest coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance, will hold six portfolios, including home affairs, environment and public works. DA leader John Steenhuisen, 48, has been appointed agriculture minister.

In a statement, the party welcomed “a new era in South Africa’s democratic journey” in which “corruption will not be tolerated at all.”

The nationalist Inkatha Zulu Freedom Party (IFP), the anti-immigration Patriotic Alliance party and the right-wing Afrikaans party Freedom-Front Plus and other smaller parties won a total of six seats in the government.

These included responsibility for land reform, correctional services, sports, tourism and public services.

– “Unprecedented” –

“The formation of the Government of National Unity in its current form is an unprecedented event in the history of our democracy,” Ramaphosa, 71, said in a televised speech from Pretoria.

Last week, he was re-elected for a second full term to head what his humble ANC calls the Government of National Unity (GNU), after losing a clear majority in the May 29 general election.

“The incoming government will prioritize rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and creating a fairer society by tackling poverty, inequality and unemployment,” he said.

He added that he had to “ensure that all parties have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the country’s executive bodies, as well as in various parliamentary positions.”

The only other time South Africa has opted for a government of national unity was at the end of apartheid, when Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk, the former leader of the government, oversaw the transition to democracy as executive vice presidents.

The ANC’s collapse came at a time of high crime, a weak economy and a crippling energy crisis.

– Difficult negotiations –

Ramaphosa’s long-awaited announcement came after weeks of difficult negotiations between the ANC and the DA, which won 87 seats in parliament (22 per cent of the popular vote) to the ANC’s 159 (40 per cent).

The formation of the new government has been criticised by left-wing parties, including uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), a new party formed a few months before the elections held by the country’s former president, 82-year-old Jacob Zuma.

The MK party came out of nowhere to poll over 14 percent of the vote nationwide and may now be the country’s official opposition after refusing to join the broad ANC coalition.

Together with the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), she rejected the broad ANC-DA coalition, calling it an “unholy alliance led by whites”.

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

The EFF, in a statement on Sunday, said the announcement confirms “our long-standing position” that the GNU is “nothing more than a smokescreen for the ANC to secure a predetermined grand coalition with the racist DA.”

The impact of an “enlarged and bloated” state budget financed with taxpayers’ money was also criticized.

Ramaphosa called for a new session of parliament to open on 18 July to address MPs and provide guidance on the functioning of his new 11-party coalition government.

AFP