Former opposition parties receive 12 ministries in South Africa’s new government

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has unveiled his new government, with former opposition parties securing 12 out of 32 portfolios as the ruling ANC no longer holds an outright parliamentary majority.

The African National Congress (ANC), in power since 1994, retained 20 out of 32 cabinet positions, including important ministries like foreign affairs, finance, defense, justice, and police.

A statement from the party described the announcement as “an important step forward, and a testament to the resilience of our democracy”.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), the largest coalition partner, will oversee six portfolios such as home affairs, environment, and public works. DA leader John Steenhuisen, 48, was appointed Minister of Agriculture.

The Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), anti-immigration party Patriotic Alliance, right-wing Afrikaans party Freedom-Front Plus, and other smaller parties have been allocated six cabinet positions collectively, overseeing areas like land reform, correctional services, sports, tourism, and public service. 

– ‘Unprecedented’ –

In a televised speech from Pretoria, 71-year-old Ramaphosa called the formation of the Government of National Unity “unprecedented in the history of our democracy”.

Last week, he was re-elected for a second term to lead a government of national unity, following the ANC’s loss of its outright majority in the May 29 general election.

Ramaphosa emphasized the new government’s focus on rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth and creating a more just society by addressing poverty, inequality, and unemployment.

He highlighted the need for meaningful participation from all parties in the national executive and various parliamentary positions.

The formation of the new government came after challenging negotiations between the ANC and the DA, with the former winning 159 parliamentary seats compared to the latter’s 87.

Leftist parties like the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party criticized the coalition-building process, with the MK party potentially becoming the official opposition after rejecting the ANC’s broad coalition.

Ramaphosa is set to open the new parliament on July 18 to outline how his coalition government, involving 11 parties, will operate.