South African parties strike coalition deal

CAPE TOWN: South Africa´s newly elected parliament met on Friday and was expected to re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa to form an unprecedented coalition government after his humbled ANC cobbled together a deal.

The leader of South Africa´s second largest party, John Steenhuisen of the centre-right the Democratic Alliance (DA), said it had reached an agreement with the ANC to form a multi-party coalition government

“The DA has reached agreement on the statement of intent for the formation of a government of national unity,” he said, adding that the DA and the Zulu nationalist IFP would back the coalition, which they are calling a government of national unity.

“We will be supporting President Cyril Ramaphosa in his election for the president of the republic of South Africa,” Steenhuisen said, during a pause in the opening session of South Africa´s seventh parliament since the advent of post-apartheid democracy in 1994.

Earlier, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo had opened the first sitting, swearing in MPs in batches ahead of planned votes on the election of a speaker, deputy speaker and the president.

Members of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party took the oath wearing red overalls and in some cases rubber boots and plastic construction worker helmets.