Ten parties have now signed on to a unity government, but a stalemate remains over the cabinet
Since Friday, three more parties have joined the government of national unity (GNU), bringing the total to 10 political organizations committed to the pact following the ANC's loss of its outright majority in last month's general elections.
In a Saturday night statement, the ANC announced that discussions among the parties regarding the formation of the executive were ongoing, with President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to announce appointments "in the coming days."
However, a stalemate persists between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) over cabinet post allocations in the unity government. The addition of more parties could potentially weaken the DA's bargaining power as it seeks more positions.
The ANC confirmed that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Rise Mzansi signed the statement of intent on Friday, followed by Al Jama-ah on Saturday.
"After two weeks of intense engagements, 10 of the eighteen parties with seats in the National Assembly have signed the GNU statement of intent, indicating their willingness to cooperate to prioritize the people of South Africa," the ANC stated.
"The initial phase of parties joining the GNU initiative is now complete. Together, these parties secured over 70% of the vote in the 2024 elections, ensuring broad representativity and a strong mandate to govern."
The ANC added that any additional parties wishing to join the unity government would be subject to clause 24 of the statement of intent, requiring discussion and agreement among the existing organizations.
Rise Mzansi said it joined the pact to honor South African voters' wishes "to be represented by new leaders who are capable, caring, and ethical."
As of Sunday, no breakthrough had been achieved in the standoff between the ANC and DA regarding cabinet appointments. The DA argues that, according to clause 16 of the statement of intent, the government should "broadly take into account the number of seats parties have in the National Assembly," which DA negotiators interpret as entitling the party to "roughly 30%" of cabinet portfolios.
The ANC, however, maintains that cabinet appointments are the president's prerogative. "He will consult, as he always does with members of the ANC. This time he will consult with the other parties in the government of national unity. But there is no quota, absolutely not," a senior ANC member involved in the negotiations told the Mail & Guardian last week.
In a Saturday night statement, the ANC announced that discussions among the parties regarding the formation of the executive were ongoing, with President Cyril Ramaphosa expected to announce appointments "in the coming days."
However, a stalemate persists between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) over cabinet post allocations in the unity government. The addition of more parties could potentially weaken the DA's bargaining power as it seeks more positions.
The ANC confirmed that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Rise Mzansi signed the statement of intent on Friday, followed by Al Jama-ah on Saturday.
"After two weeks of intense engagements, 10 of the eighteen parties with seats in the National Assembly have signed the GNU statement of intent, indicating their willingness to cooperate to prioritize the people of South Africa," the ANC stated.
"The initial phase of parties joining the GNU initiative is now complete. Together, these parties secured over 70% of the vote in the 2024 elections, ensuring broad representativity and a strong mandate to govern."
The ANC added that any additional parties wishing to join the unity government would be subject to clause 24 of the statement of intent, requiring discussion and agreement among the existing organizations.
Rise Mzansi said it joined the pact to honor South African voters' wishes "to be represented by new leaders who are capable, caring, and ethical."
As of Sunday, no breakthrough had been achieved in the standoff between the ANC and DA regarding cabinet appointments. The DA argues that, according to clause 16 of the statement of intent, the government should "broadly take into account the number of seats parties have in the National Assembly," which DA negotiators interpret as entitling the party to "roughly 30%" of cabinet portfolios.
The ANC, however, maintains that cabinet appointments are the president's prerogative. "He will consult, as he always does with members of the ANC. This time he will consult with the other parties in the government of national unity. But there is no quota, absolutely not," a senior ANC member involved in the negotiations told the Mail & Guardian last week.
