South Africa Forms Multi-Party Government
09:39 01.07.2024 (Updated: 18:10 01.07.2024)
CC BY-SA 2.0 / Chris Eason /
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The 2024 general election became a pivotal point in modern South African history, as the African National Congress won a plurality of seats in the country's parliament without winning an outright majority for the first time since the fall of apartheid in 1994.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that he had approved the composition of the government of national unity.
"To give effect to this mandate, it was agreed that a Government of National Unity, which brings together parties from across the political spectrum, should be formed [...] Following discussions over the course of the last few weeks, a total of eleven parties have elected to work together in government and in Parliament. These are the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Good Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, Rise Mzansi, and the United African Transformation," Ramaphosa said in a statement on Sunday.
He announced that his African National Congress (ANC) would retain 20 cabinet positions out of a total of 32.
Paul Mashatile was reappointed as South Africa's vice president. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana also retained his post. Ronald Lamola was appointed foreign minister, and Angie Motshekga took over as defense minister.
The ANC's former main rival and now largest coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance, received six portfolios.
Parties with fewer seats in parliament, most notably the Inkatha Freedom Party, received a total of six portfolios.
