DA is still keen on negotiating, source says

At a meeting of its federal executive on Thursday, the DA resolved to continue negotiations with President Cyril Ramaphosa over cabinet positions, said a source close to the negotiations.

The senior party source said the DA was still committed to negotiations and the party was “not at the point of drawing lines in the sand and giving final ultimatums”.

The comments come after local news reports said on Thursday that there had been a major disagreement between the DA and the ANC over the trade, industry and competition minister position in Ramaphosa’s cabinet, which is yet to be announced more than a week after he was sworn in for a second term as head of state.

Party officials had indicated earlier in the week that the cabinet was expected to be made public on Wednesday or Thursday.

The ANC and the DA are the two largest parties in the government of national unity that emerged after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid, in the general election in May.

A DA spokesperson said the party would communicate officially when negotiations were finalised.

Reuters