President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC shakes hands with the leader of the DA John Steenhuisen at the 7th sitting of Parliament of South Africa. Photographer: Baba Jiyane/GCIS
As talks around President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet of the Government of National Unity continue, some South Africans are beginning to get restless at the prolonged negotiations, mainly between the ANC and the DA.
IOL sent a team of reporters to the streets of Midrand to gauge how South Africans were feeling as the country awaits for Ramaphosa to announce his cabinet.
Ramaphosa was officially inaugurated as president last Thursday during a ceremony at the Union Buildings.
Announcing his cabinet has taken a bit of a snag after the DA made some tough demands during negotiations, demanding at least 11 ministries and the role of deputy president or a ministerial position in the presidency.
The ANC has managed to lobby 10 political parties into the GNU. These parties are the DA, IFP, PA, FF+, UDM, PAC, Al-Jamah, Rise Mzansi, Good and the NFP.
Speaking to IOL just outside the Sanridge Square in Midrand, Michelle Motaung, who was with her husband about to shop for groceries, exuded ann air of frustration.
“Everyone wants to be in Cabinet now, prior to elections people were comfortable with being in opposition, suddenly people are seeing an opportunity to be in Cabinet and their true colours are being revealed which is not serving us, we are seeing a side that we didn't see about certain political parties,” she said.
Her husband, Alfred Motaung, expressed frustration about the DA’s negotiation tactics with the ANC in the GNU discussions.
“I think it's a misunderstanding. This thing is a GNU, it's not a coalition between the DA and ANC. The DA were the first people to sign the statement of intent, now they think this government is made up of them and the ANC only, there are positions that they think they are entitled to, forgetting that IFP must also be rewarded, PA must also be rewarded.
“It's the first time that at national level this kind of a thing happens, they have always had to allocate their positions amongst themselves and it's not easy for the president and the entire ANC thats why its taking so long, they are also external influences and everywhere you go people have an opinion on whom must be appointed,” he said.
Yvonne Dladla, who was looking for domestic work outside the Sanridge Square, said it did not matter how long it took to announce the Cabinet because life had not changed for black people in any case.
She said jobs, the economy, was still in white hands.
“We have no land, the white people are still the owners of the land, nothing has changed, whites in charge are in majority (in terms of land ownership),” she said.
IOL