Cyril Ramphosa calls out John Steenhuisen and Helen Zille in scathing letter

• The African National Congress president, Cyril Ramaphosa, wrote a scathing letter to the Democratic Alliance's president, John Steenhuisen
• The letter was leaked to the media, and in it, Ramaphosa calls out Steenhuisen for his party's recent demands and conduct during negotiations
• South Africans believed the relationship between the ANC and DA would turn out to be volatile and affect the GNU

Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Johannesburg, South Africa, has covered policy changes, the State of the Nation Address, politician-related news and elections at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for over seven years.

Cyril Ramaphosa took John Steenhuisen to task. Images: Chris McGrath/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG—The African National Congress president Cyril Ramaphosa criticized Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen for his conduct during the negotiations for a Government of National Unity and his recent demands.

DA makes department demands

In the leaked letter tweeted by @samkelemaseko, Ramaphosa takes Steenhuisen to task for the Democratic Alliance's recent demands in an earlier leaked letter. The DA demanded that they receive the Departments of Home Affairs, Basic Education, Trade, Industry and Competition and four others.

In addition to the requested portfolios, the DA wanted deputy ministers for the Departments of Finance, Energy and Electricity, Small Business Development, and another unspecified department to replace the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition.

Ramaphosa not happy with John Steenhuisen

Ramaphosa was displeased with Steenhuisen's addition of two more departments to the six the DA initially wanted. He also called Steenhuisen out for not engaging with him in face-to-face negotiations.

"I informed you that the habit of negotiating through correspondence, as adopted by the DA, can be problematic. It can for example make parties play to the gallery of public opinion through media leakages resulting in the loss of focus on the real substance of the negotiations. I also informed you that we found the letter from your Federal Chairperson offensive, condescending and inconsistent with the Constitution," he said.

Read the full letter here:

South Africans predict GNU will end

Netizens discussing the letter believed the GNU would not last.

Corruption-Hater said:

"Helen Zille is the leader of the DA, and John Steenhuisen is an errand boy."

EskomCEO said:

"Two weeks, and they're already fighting in public. End this thing. It won't work."

Tibla said:

"It looks like there are other parties over and above the 10 that are willing to join the GNU. DA's days are numbered."

Gistwhere said:

"U is silent in the GNU."

Takalani said:

"Seems like the president has more time to pen down letters than to appoint a working cabinet as agreed by the GNU committee. Typical."

DA wants to review tender processes of departments

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that the DA demanded that all the tenders issued by the governments it will receive be reviewed.

The DA also announced that it would terminate the director-general's contract, and South Africans debated it.