The new South African government, dubbed a “Government of National Unity,” or as some say, a Government of National U-Turn, was announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on June 30. The African National Congress (ANC) kept 20 out of 32 cabinet positions. The ANC has retained such key ministries as foreign affairs, finance, defense, justice and police.
The new Minister of International Relations, replacing Dr. Naledi Pandor, is corporate lawyer Ron Lamola, a career ANC politician and an enemy of former President Jacob Zuma. He has an LLM degree in corporate law and a postgraduate certificate in banking law and finance. He is moving to International Relations from his position as Minister of Justice.
The appointment of Lamola raises the question whether South Africa’s foreign policy will continue to orient toward the BRICS. President Ramaphosa has stated—more than once in recent weeks—that the country’s foreign policy will not change. Minister Lamola and both deputy ministers are, at least, all from the ANC, but that is little to go on.
There are, however, two members of the new cabinet who have a history of supporting the pro-BRICS policy: Paul Mashatile continues as the Deputy President, and Gwede Mantashe has been retained as the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (but Energy is no longer a part his portfolio).
The ANC’s coalition partner, the very British liberal Democratic Alliance (DA), is on record as seeking to end South Africa’s pro-BRICS orientation. They now hold six portfolios including basic education, home affairs, environment, and public works. DA leader John Steenhuisen, 48, was appointed Minister of Agriculture, which will no longer include land reform. In a statement, the DA hailed a “new era in South Africa’s democratic journey” where there will be “zero tolerance for corruption.” One of the DA’s targets, on the basis of corruption allegations, is Paul Mashatile, the Deputy President!
