According to the signed agreement, the Government of National Unity will consult the parties regarding ministerial nominations

The final Government of National Unity (GNU) agreement was signed shortly after noon on Friday at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC), where the first meeting of the seventh parliament was held.

Agreement seen by Daily Maverickit bears the signatures of DA federal chairperson Helen Zille and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.

No other party leaders are named, and the document does not specify which parties – apart from the ANC and DA – will be part of the GNU. Leaves open the possibility that other parties may later join GNU, subject to the consent of the original parties.

The GNU Agreement clearly states that the parties will cooperate “in both the executive and legislative branches.” In other words, it covers both ministerial appointments and parliament.

The ANC will take over the speaker, a deputy DA

As reported earlier on Friday, as part of the deal, the DA will vote with the ANC to support Thoko Didiza as speaker in exchange for the ANC’s support for the nomination of DA’s Annelie Lotriet as deputy speaker.

In addition, GNU parties will be given leadership positions on “certain committees” in parliament.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is to be given the role of chairman of the speakers.

As for the executive, the agreement states that the GNU will be formed “with strong consideration to the party’s number of seats in the National Assembly and the need to promote the national interest.”

When forming the next cabinet, the president is obliged to “take into account the election results.”

This should mean serving as a minister or deputy minister for a number of opposition politicians.

The agreement also states that while it is up to the president to appoint members of the executive branch, he will now do so in consultation with the leaders of the other political parties involved in the GNU.

It states that GNU will work by consensus. Where no agreement means that consensus is not possible, “sufficient consensus” will be established when parties in the GNU collectively representing at least 60% of the seats in the National Assembly agree.

GNU’s 9 core priorities

GNU will pursue priorities including economic growth, land reform and job creation.

The agreement states that “macroeconomic management must support national development goals in a sustainable manner.”

There are signs that the district attorney may be making progress in his bid to take provincial control of certain services, such as transportation and policing. The agreement states that the priority will be “assigning appropriate responsibilities to different spheres of government.”

Foreign policy was previously believed to be one of the main sticking points in coalition talks between the DA and ANC.

Ultimately, the GNU settled on a rather broad clause calling for a foreign policy “based on human rights, constitutionalism, national interest, solidarity, peaceful conflict resolution to achieve African Agenda 2063, South-South, North-South African cooperation, multilateralism and equitable “a peaceful and just world.” DM