Ramaphosa to set ground rules for Government of National Unity at weekend Cabinet lekgotla

An induction led by President Cyril Ramaphosa was held earlier this week to welcome the new Cabinet members and deputy ministers.  

Daily Maverick understands that Ramaphosa used the opportunity to encourage unity among the different political parties serving in the executive. In the same breath, the president is said to have reiterated that all political parties who are part of the Government of National Unity (GNU) are at liberty to work separately in Parliament.

“The president was setting out the ground rules,” a source said.



The two-day lekgotla, which is due to take place over the weekend, will deliberate on the proposals of the directors-general, after which the programmes and priorities of the government will be announced.  

Plain sailing

Political analyst Levy Ndou said it would be plain sailing at the lekgotla this weekend. He said that all parties had mentioned job creation, inequality, poverty, healthcare and education in their manifestos, which meant they were all on the same page.

He added that the key priorities would not interfere with existing policy, and said that issues like BBBEE and land were up for debate in Parliament. 

“They agree with the problems facing South Africa, so this should be the easiest lekgotla yet,” Ndou said.

Since the appointment of a new Cabinet, Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson and Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton Mckenzie have already ruffled some feathers. 

The DA’s Mcpherson has already tried to halt excessive spending on accommodation and offices, while Mckenzie has stopped funding for superfans and possibly exposed corruption that was committed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

There have been mixed reactions to action taken by these two ministers as some believe they are grandstanding while others support them.

Eleven parties joined the GNU: the ANC, DA, Patriotic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Good Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, Freedom Front Plus, United Democratic Movement, Al Jama-ah, Rise Mzansi and the United Africans Transformation, which announced it had withdrawn this week. 

Read more in Daily Maverick: The GNU comes to Parliament — with political trade-offs aplenty

Before the elections, Ramaphosa’s Cabinet consisted of 30 ministers. It has now grown to 32 to accommodate all GNU partners.

The ministries of Electricity and Energy have been merged, while there is a separate ministry of mineral and petroleum resources.

The Ministry of Agriculture has been separated from the Ministry of Land Reform and Rural Development. The Ministry of Higher Education no longer includes the science, technology and innovation portfolios.

The Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development is no longer merged with the Ministry of Correctional Services, and the Ministry of Public Enterprises has been scrapped. 

The coordination of the relevant public enterprises will be located in the Presidency during the process of implementing a new shareholder model. DM

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