All eyes are on President Cyril Ramaphosa tonight as he finally unveils his much-anticipated new Cabinet, marking the birth of a new era in South African politics. The announcement, set for 9pm tonight, will see the formation of a government of national unity (GNU), a historic move that brings together a diverse range of political parties following the May elections.
"The new national executive will constitute the seventh democratic administration as a government of national unity comprising a diversity of political parties as an outcome of the national and provincial elections held on Wednesday, 29 May 2024," said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
This is a moment that's been years in the making, with the last coalition government formed under the leadership of Nelson Mandela in 1994. Back then, FW de Klerk took on the role of Deputy President, sharing power with Mandela, and a select group of ministers from the National Party and IFP joined the cabinet.
The road to this new government has been a long and winding one, filled with drama, intrigue, and a few tense standoffs. Negotiations began after the ANC's less-than-stellar performance in the May elections, with Ramaphosa opening the door to discussions with other parties to form a GNU.
After the loss, Ramaphosa announced that the party would open its doors to negotiating with other political parties to form a GNU.
The process has been fraught with delays, leaked correspondence, and late-night meetings, leading to a few near-misses and a lot of speculation about who would be in and who would be out.
The negotiations have been plagued by delays, leaked correspondence, and late-night meetings.
The DA, a key player in the GNU talks, has secured a significant number of cabinet positions, including key portfolios like Home Affairs, Basic Education, Agriculture, Public Works and Infrastructure, Communications and Digital Technologies, and Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
"We have reached a deal, but there are final touches that still need to be done," said DA leader John Steenhuisen, hinting at the ongoing negotiations and the delicate balance of power within the new government.
The DA has also secured deputy ministerial positions in Finance, Energy and Electricity, Small Business Development, Water and Sanitation, Higher Education, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
It seems the DA's hard-nosed negotiation tactics paid off, with sources revealing that the EFF's last-minute attempt to form a coalition with the ANC, excluding the DA and FF Plus, pushed the DA to accept Ramaphosa's final offer.
The delays in the Cabinet announcement were partly due to the DA's ongoing discussions about the names of the individuals they want to fill the various ministerial positions. This internal debate within the DA has added another layer of complexity to the negotiations, with each party vying for influence and control.
"The delays in the Cabinet announcement on Sunday were partly due to the DA still being in discussions about the names of the candidates they want to take up the various ministries," a source close to the negotiations revealed.
The announcement of the new Cabinet is a watershed moment for South Africa, marking a shift towards a more inclusive and collaborative form of government. However, the challenges ahead are numerous, with the various parties needing to navigate the complexities of power sharing, compromise, and policy alignment.
The question on everyone's lips is: Will this new era of coalition politics be a success, or will it be a recipe for instability and gridlock?
