The News
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s two biggest parties remain locked in negotiations over the makeup of a cabinet for their landmark coalition government after signs of tension came to the fore.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who leads the African National Congress, and Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen held talks on Monday, their second meeting in three days. The party leaders are working to flesh out an agreement between their two parties — historically rivals in South Africa’s legislature.
The DA has said it wants 11 ministers and for Steenhuisen to be Ramaohosa’s deputy president.
Two leaked letters, one from the DA’s federal chair Helen Zille to ANC secretary Fikile Mbalula, and a counter salvo from Mbalula, created a picture of warring partners going through their first serious public disagreement.
Zille insisted power had to be shared in proportion to each party’s vote proportion in the May 29 poll. Her party claimed 22% to the ANC’s 40%.
Two ANC officials told Semafor Africa that their party was opposed to giving the number of cabinet positions sought by Zille. Ramaphosa asked the DA to provide six names to be considered for inclusion in the cabinet, which is expected to be made up of 28 people, the sources said.
Step Back
The ANC was forced to form a coalition government after failing to secure a simple majority in South Africa’s election last month. Its poor election performance ended its 30-year majority control of the nation’s parliament following the end of apartheid.
The center-right DA, widely seen as a predominantly white party, won the second largest share of the vote in the election. Smaller parties that agreed to join the coalition include the Inkatha Freedom Party, an ethnic Zulu party, and the right-leaning Patriotic Alliance.
Notable
- The power-sharing agreement has “unwittingly renewed some racial rifts,” reports the Associated Press.
- The DA suspended one of its members of parliament after an old video in which he uses racist language resurfaced online.
