Tension and stand-offs as South Africa struggles to launch coalition gov’t
Al JazeeraJun 18
South Africa: President Ramaphosa Unveils New Coalition Government
Above: President Cyril Ramaphosa at the 7th sitting of the South African Parliament on June 14, 2024, at the Cape Town Convention Center in Cape Town, South Africa. Image copyright: Per-Anders Pettersson/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new "government of national unity" on Sunday, about a month after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
The ANC received 20 of the 32 ministerial seats, with the main former opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) getting six seats. Two seats went to the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the final four seats went to other coalition parties.
The Spin
Narrative A
The formation of a coalition government is unprecedented in the young history of democratic South Africa and heralds a new era for the "Rainbow Nation," aimed at promoting unity and addressing the country's pressing challenges. This coalition is well-positioned to tackle poverty and inequality and will achieve rapid, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for all South Africans. The ANC has proven its ability to overcome the shadows of apartheid for the benefit of its citizens.
Narrative B
The alleged "government of national unity" is nothing more than a charade essentially masking an ANC-DA alliance for which the ANC sacrificed its identity as a liberation movement. Equally worrying is that this cabinet has been enlarged at taxpayers' expense so that DA racists and neoliberals can be installed in positions of power. This government will not solve South Africa's woes, as the DA will only serve the white minority's interests seeking to destroy the fruits of the liberation struggle.