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The main coalition partners are Ramaphosa’s African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance, the second biggest party. The dispute is about how to divide the ministerial posts
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Parliament would open for its next term on July 18 as he remains locked in negotiations with other parties to form a Cabinet.
A multi-party government will take charge soon. The negotiations characterized by agreements and disagreements have been going on for the last two weeks. The main coalition partners are Ramaphosa’s African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance, the second biggest party. The dispute is how to divide the ministerial posts.
Reportedly, there are tensions since each party is negotiating to their advantage. In a letter leaked to the media, it appears that Ramaphosa wrote to DA leader John Steenhuisen accusing his party of being niggardly. It said that the DA was now demanding eight ministerial posts as against six earlier. On the other hand, the DA says the ANC had reneged on a promise to allow it to take control of the important Department of Trade and Industry. Ramaphosa and Steenhuisen have also had face-to-face meetings in recent days.
Analysts earlier predicted that a coalition bringing the ANC and DA together to govern Africa’s most industrialized country would be complicated. The DA has been the main opposition and its fiercest critic of the ANC for more than 20 years before the May 29 election, creating an unprecedented situation for South African politics. They have starkly different ideologies.
Although eight smaller parties have also joined the coalition, which is being called a government of national unity, the ANC and the DA are the key players and its success relies on them finding common ground.
South African media has reported that the DA may be on the verge of walking away from the power-sharing agreement. But ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, one of his party’s lead negotiators, moved to dispel that by writing on social media site X that the parties were “almost done” with the final agreement.
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South Africa’s currency and investor confidence strengthened after the ANC and DA signed a preliminary agreement to work together in a coalition on June 14. That deal also allowed Ramaphosa to be re-elected by lawmakers for a second term as president just hours later with cross-party support.
