By Ragheema Mclean
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has been re-elected by lawmakers for a second term, following an unprecedented agreement between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
This historic governance pact saw the two rival parties setting aside their differences to form a Government of National Unity (GNU).
In addition to this, ANC’s Angela Thokozile “Thoko” Didiza has been appointed as Speaker of the National Assembly, while Dr. Annelie Lotriet from the DA has taken on the role of Deputy Speaker.
The critical votes for these positions were cast by newly sworn-in Members of Parliament (MPs) during the first sitting of the seventh Parliament on June 14, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).
Speaking on VOC Breakfast, political analyst Andre Duvenage said election result came as a complete surprise for the ANC, forcing them to form a government in a very short space of time.
“They strategically opted for a government of national unity, encompassing groupings from both sides of the political spectrum, including centre-left and centre-right.”
Duvenage added, “The current coalition remains open and is not exclusive to the ANC, DA, and the IPF. Other parties may still join. This preliminary negotiation resulted in a declaration of intent aligned with the constitution. We still need to reassemble the entire seventh administration.”
Duvenage said that there are speculations that several DA members might be included in the cabinet, along with a special position for DA leader John Steenhuisen.
“We have also heard that the MK party will be part of parliament, and I expect them to follow a destructive approach against what they are calling the ‘unholy alliance’.”
“From what we heard from Zuma over the weekend, is that he will fight from on all levels and even taking it to the street, this indicates forms of violence in order to attain their goal.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday (16 June), the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party announced its intention to join the opposition in the National Assembly under the Progressive Caucus banner.
This caucus includes the EFF, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, United Africans Transformation, African Transformation Movement, and the Pan-Africanist Congress.
“There is a possibility of alignments between the MK party and other opposition groups like the EFF and UDM,” Duvenage noted.
“This could significantly alter the dynamics of South African politics. A stable ANC is crucial for a functional government of national unity.”
Duvenage remarked, “Without a doubt, President Ramaphosa’s position is threatened, but he has thus far managed to tactically maneuver his opposition. We must credit him for his ability to survive in such a turbulent political landscape.”
VOC News
Photo: @ParliamentofRSA/X
