Twenty-one days after his inauguration, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the seventh administration cabinet. This announcement comes after a long wait for South Africans and represents the most complex cabinet formation since the 1994 Government of National Unity. Despite initially intending to reduce the size of his cabinet, the president was forced to expand it by 12 positions, from 65 to 77, to accommodate all parties involved.
The ANC, having failed to secure a two-thirds majority, was compelled to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) with 11 other political parties: ANC, DA, IFP, UDM, FF PLUS, PAC, PA, GOOD Party, RISE MZANSI, Al Ja Mah, and UAT. A binding document, presented as a statement of intent, was signed by all these parties.
This complexity necessitated careful distribution of cabinet positions among all the parties within the GNU. Ultimately, it appears that President Ramaphosa managed the situation effectively, as 70% of the cabinet members are from the ANC.
South Africans now wait in anticipation to see if this Government of National Unity will lead to improved service delivery. It remains to be seen if the political parties will heed the voices of the citizens and act accordingly. Here is the list of the cabinet as announced by the president last night:
