'No way' DA will be given half of cabinet - Cosatu
Close but no cabinet. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks weighs in on the ongoing cabinet negotiations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Matthew Parks (Parliamentary Coordinator with Cosatu) joins Africa Melane.
Click below.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has cast doubt on the African National Congress (ANC) claim that a cabinet announcement will be made today (Thursday).
On Tuesday, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said they would announce the new cabinet within '24-36 hours'. To date, there has been only silence.
Furious negotiations have been taking place behind the scenes to thrash out President Cyril Ramaphosa's much-anticipated cabinet.
Friday will mark two weeks since the first parties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) signified their intent to work together.
Parks isn't holding his breath that we'll hear anything today.
"I suspect today is not going to happen. I suspect Friday, or Saturday, or Sunday."
- Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator - Cosatu
"There's quite a bit of delicate work still to be done... all in a very short space of time."
- Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator - Cosatu
On Monday, the ANC responded to the DA's request for certain cabinet positions, describing it as an outlandish demand.
In a leaked letter to the ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, penned by the DA’s Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille, the DA set out its preferences; to secure at least 11 cabinet posts, including either Deputy President or Minister in the Presidency.
Bhengu-Motsiri said the GNU would not 'dance to the tune of the DA'.
Parks says the DA never believed all its demands would be met.
"I think it was part of the negotiating tactics to ask for too much, knowing they'll settle somewhere in the middle."
- Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator - Cosatu
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"There's no way the DA is going to be given half of the cabinet."
- Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator - Cosatu
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.