South African parties agree on Cabinet positions, sealing deal on new coalition government

Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has named a new Cabinet after his African National Congress, the former main opposition party, and nine other parties agreed on the makeup of a coalition government following weeks of haggling. Ramaphosa’s party retained the largest share of ministerial positions as he appointed ANC officials to 20 of the 32 Cabinet minister roles. But there were six ministers from the Democratic Alliance, once the main opposition to the ANC. Ramaphosa shared out the remaining ministerial posts among some of the smaller parties. Ramaphosa’s announcement of his multi-party Cabinet came a month after the ANC lost its 30-year political dominance in a national election, forcing it into an unprecedented power-sharing agreement.