Government of National Unity Talks Stall as President Ramaphosa Accuses DA of Negotiating in Bad Faith

The negotiations for the government of national unity (GNU), between the ANC and DA which were deadlocked over the weekend and later seemed to have been headed for a solution after several meetings involving the respective party leaders, have broken down again.

The two political parties failed to reach an agreement last week but managed to get the talks back on the road on Monday, with the promise that they might finally resolve their differences – which would have resulted in President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing his Cabinet. As a result, several media outlets announced that a deal was imminent, which has not proved to be the case.

All the promises fell apart when the two could not agree on the number of portfolios to be shared.

In his letter to Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen, President Cyril Ramaphosa accuses the DA of negotiating in bad faith by moving the goalposts.

He says the party is jeopardizing the formation of a Government of National Unity. South Africans have been waiting for a new cabinet since last week’s presidential inauguration.

In his letter to Steenhuisen, the president accuses the DA of trying to create a “parallel government”.