President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed the most ideologically diverse government in South Africa's history.
Living up to his reputation as a skilled negotiator, South Africa's President Cyril Rampahosa appears to have outmanoeuvred his main coalition partner - the Democratic Alliance - in talks over the formation of a new government, while also taking steps to neutralise radical opposition parties demanding the nationalisation of white-owned land.
The appointments came after tough negotiations with the DA and a furious exchange of letters, which saw Mr Ramaphosaa accuse the party of trying to form a "parallel government" in breach of the constitution. Led by John Steenhuisen, the party is often accused of trying to protect the economic privileges that white people built up during apartheid - a charge it denies.Billing his cabinet as a government of national unity, Mr Ramaphosa also gave a deputy ministerial post to the Muslim Al Jama-ah party, in a clear sign that he intends to continue backing the Palestinians over Israel, despite opposition from the DA.
He argued that South Africa's partners in Brics - which includes Brazil, Russia, Indian and China - would "see that they are dealing with a weak partner".Mr Ramaphosa was forced to appoint a coalition government after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time. But the DA leader's appointment was offset by Mr Ramaphosa's surprise decision to give the new land reform ministry to the Pan Africanist Congress - a former liberation movement which fought white-minority rule under the slogan "Africa for the Africans".
They believed that handing the portfolio to the DA would undermine the ANC's black economic empowerment policies. The pro-free market DA opposes the policies, arguing that they stifle investment, fuel corruption and simply enrich the ANC's business cronies. The latter is seen as a political hot potato - as Mr Fakude pointed out, it "deals with the borders and illegal African immigration into South Africa".
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