After tense negotiations South Africa’s GNU cabinet has been finalised. These are unprecedented times in SA’s history since it’s the first time we’re seeing a coalition government of national unity.

Fin Select takes a look at the cabinet and breaks down some of the crucial changes.

SA’s election history: a snapshot

South Africa has had a democracy since 1994, so a GNU may not seem much different from our previous cabinets. And yet there are some vast differences.

The key to how the government and cabinet function lies in our Constitution and electoral law. These pieces of legislation stipulate that democratic elections offer a way for civil society to express their will. This requires free and fair elections where:

• all voters and candidates have the opportunity to exercise all relevant rights,
• each voter’s vote counts as one, and
• all parties and candidates campaign on a formally equal manner.

Executive authority: the appointment of SA’s leaders

Unlike other nations like the USA, South Africans vote for a party, not a president. The leader of the majority is, however, generally also the favourite as president. After the election, the first sitting of parliament must be held within 14 days.

During this sitting the assembly members are sworn in, and the president is elected by the assembly. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are also elected from the assembly. These elections are overseen by the Chief Justice.

SA’s national assembly accommodates a minimum of 350 and maximum of 400 members. Only the votes of attending members are counted. If any members have a ‘stayaway’, their votes are simply excluded from the overall tally.

For example: if a party refuses to attend or vote, the calculation for a majority vote reduces the 400 assembly seats by the amount of people not attending/voting. In the 2024 presidential election, a total of 327 votes were cast. 283 members voted for Cyril Ramaphosa and 44 for Julius Malema.

How the cabinet of South Africa is appointed

The various cabinet designations and the members who fill them are assigned by the President. The president can choose any members of the assembly to fill ministerial roles. The legislation also allows for the appointment of two persons max who aren’t part of the assembly. It goes without saying that the president generally elects members from his own faction.

Nelson Mandela’s cabinet for his two terms saw the appointment of various opposition party members in cabinet. Thabo Mbeki also appointed ministers from an opposition party, though this was restricted to the IFP during his first term. In his second term there were only two ministers from opposition parties:

• Marthinus van Schalkwyk of the NNP
• Mosibudi Mangena of AZAPO

Neither of Jacob Zuma’s cabinets had any opposition party members. As for Ramaphosa – he only appointed one opposition party member to his cabinet: Patricia de Lille of the GOOD party.

No majority vote: no autonomy

Majority wins! This is the rule of thumb for South Africa and most democratic nations. This differs quite vastly from a ‘winner takes all’ system like the USA which only allows one of two parties to

The appointment of ministers is only the president’s sole prerogative if the party he represents wins by majority vote. This held true for the ANC until 2024.

Our legislation requires that the ruling party hold a majority of 50% of all seats to retain the executive leadership. Should they lose this majority, a coalition government is required to ensure that the president and his executive represent all South Africans. The same holds true for provincial and municipal councils.

Chapter 4 (53)(i)(a) of our Constitution states that a majority of the members of the national assembly must be present before a vote may be taken on any Bill or amendment to a Bill. In order to change the constitution itself, two-thirds of the assembly need to vote in favour of the change.

South African elections statistics: a snapshot

While we can’t include all information on the government and political system, the infographic on SA’s elections below provides a snapshot.

The pros and cons of a coalition government

There are numerous pros and cons of a coalition government, so let’s look at a few.

	PROS	CONS
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION	Greater oversight over executive governance by various parties. New cabinet members appointed to the executive may be scrutinised more thoroughly than before.	Possible protraction and administrative overheads given requirement for multi-party input. Given State Capture reports, there’s the possibility that certain factions will oppose or even obstruct takeover by leaders of any opposition.
SECONDARY FUNCTION	Greater oversight could see to fewer backlogs and establishment of better project management processes and protocols. There is the possibility of less corruption and expedited services both to the executive and public.	The review and administration required for the establishment of a coalition government is likely to see significant red tape. Backlog or poor integration of the new governance at national, regional, provincial and municipal level could create operational issues.
SOCIOPOLITICAL	Greater representation for different political groups within the coalition government may foster cooperation among a greater scope of public society. Matters of previously underrepresented groups may feature more prominently in parliament.	Lack of majority governance and exclusion of the EFF & MK may create unrest and disdain. Some of the parties both within the coalition government and opposing them hold extremist views which may see significant backlash.
SOCIOECONOMIC	Executive oversight by various parties could improve socioeconomic conditions for individuals as well as the public sector.	Change in executive oversight & bloated cabinet could see red tape and handover hangups from ANC government. Uncertainty around new monetary policies and executive cooperation may have economic repercussions.
SOCIOCULTURAL	Coalition government represents a broader scope of cultures and parties in the executive and could give voice to may groups and communities who had no representation before. A mixed cabinet will likely see a fresh view on existing and emerging sociocultural matters which will generate progressive dialogue and initiatives for all South Africans.	Inclusion of parties like Al jama-ah and the PA in the GNU may prove problematic since their views on religion and/or gender are in stark opposition to SA’s constitution. While our constitution supports the rights to freedom of religion, association and expression, these rights are limited. Such parties may impose increasingly restrictive rules regionally – especially in the educational and employment spheres.
FOREIGN RELATIONS	The coalition government is more favourable to the Global North/Western nations, and will attract more investment from these countries. The GNU will also be able to engage a broader audience.	South Africa’s ties with BRICS+ nations are at odds with Western/Global north sentiments. BRICS+, G20 and other international affiliations have various pros for South Africa, but we may be called on to choose sides, which could affect existing trade agreements.
PUBLIC PERCEPTION	South Africa’s median age is 28 which is the predominant population and is far younger than most other nations. Their support for a more equal and representative government could prove beneficial.	The most vocal political and social factions in SA are also the most extreme. Factions who uphold BBBEE+ and land grabs without caveat, or those who hold onto the coattails of Apartheid are likely to rear their heads and stir public discord with disinformation, misinformation and divisive media.

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