South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) has reached an agreement on joining a government of national unity with the African National Congress after two weeks of negotiations, DA leader John Steenhuisen said on Friday (June 14).
Once unthinkable, the deal between two sharply antagonistic parties is the most momentous political shift in South Africa since Nelson Mandela led the ANC to victory in the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid.
The ANC lost its majority for the first time in an election on May 29 and has spent two weeks locked in intensive behind-the-scenes talks with other parties, which came down to the wire on Friday morning as the new parliament was convening.
“The government of national unity’s presidential candidate will come from the largest party inside the grouping, being President Cyril Ramaphosa” Steenhuisen said in a televised address.
Two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance, will also take part in the unity government.
Source: Reuters