South African President Cyril Ramaphosa opened the new parliamentary session on Thursday evening, July 18. The occasion for a major speech to the new MPs, elected following last May’s general elections and gathered in Cape Town. An expected speech since, unlike previous administrations, the president spoke on behalf of the Government of National Unity, a coalition of ten political parties.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Roman Song
It is still the honeymoon period between the coalition government partners and there is no time for touchy subjects. No word, for example, on international relations, ties with Moscow or the war in Gaza.
Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a consensus speech, already heard. He suggested that not all the hot topics had been addressed yet. We are united on many issues and there are issues on which we still need to seek agreement. And we will work hard to ensure that we find agreement. »
The parties will have to agree, for example, on the implementation of universal health coverage, which had been denounced by the Democratic Alliance, the former opposition party which became the first coalition partner.
In a sign of a new era, its members did not issue any criticism after the speech, unlike Julius Malema, leader of the opposition EFF party. The happiest are the whites in this Parliament, the members of the Democratic Alliance, because they are the big winners of this sell-out national unity government. “This honeymoon will not last, according to Julius Malema, who gives the government a year or two before it collapses.
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