Minister in the President's Office, Khumbudzo Ntsahvheni. (Jairus Mutule/GCIS)
The new cabinet elected by the Government of National Unity (GNU) will convene its first lekgotla (parliament) on July 11 and 12 ahead of the opening of parliament next week, Presidential Minister Khumbudzo Ntsahvheni said on Thursday.
Ntshavheni told a press conference that the government's priorities and action plan, set out in the medium-term strategic framework, would be determined by the manifestos of the 11 parties that make up the unity government.
She said President Cyril Ramaphosa would announce the framework when parliament sits on 18 July. His government includes ministers and parliamentarians from the ANC, Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party, Patriotic Alliance (PA), Freedom Front Plus, GOOD Party, Al Jama'a, United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the Pan African Congress.
“Especially now that we are the GNU, what we all agree on as our plan of action is the government's plan of action, not the plan of action of the ANC, DA, UDM, PA or any other party in the GNU,” Ntshavheni said.
“We have a collective responsibility to implement this action plan.”
She said the South African Secretary-General's Forum would analyse the political parties' manifestos and select items that were in line with the goals and objectives of the country's National Development Plan.
Ntshavheni said the government does not foresee an impasse between the two parties as a resolution mechanism is in place.
Her press conference came the day after Ramaphosa's new executive team, made up of 32 ministers and 43 deputy ministers from nine of the 11 parties that make up the unity government, was sworn in.
Ntshavheni said the new government's policies would not be decided by a single party, but that the “ruling parties” needed to work together to form one “government policy” for South Africa.
Under this new structure, President Ramaphosa will be responsible for enforcing national laws, formulating and implementing national policy, coordinating the functioning of ministries and agencies, and preparing and initiating bills, unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
