South African president says Parliament will open July 18 amid discord in the new coalition
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Parliament will open on July 18 as he remains locked in negotiations with other parties to form a Cabinet well before then amid rifts in the new governing coalition
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday that Parliament will open for its next term on July 18 as he remains locked in negotiations with other parties to form a Cabinet well before then amid rifts in the new governing coalition.
The talks to seal the final details of a multi-party government and appoint a Cabinet have been going on for two weeks and have been marked by disagreements between Ramaphosa's African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance, the second biggest party, over how to divide up ministerial positions and portfolios.
Correspondence between the two former political foes has been leaked, showing the tensions.
In one of the letters, Ramaphosa wrote to DA leader John Steenhuisen accusing his party of “moving the goalposts” by increasing its demand from six Cabinet positions to eight, and thereby jeopardizing the coalition agreement. The DA says the ANC had reneged on a promise to allow it to take control of the important Department of Trade and Industry.
