Mandela was convinced that the Cabinet that had been formed through negotiations and consultations was both strong and representative of the people of South Africa – suggestions that it was not representative provoked him.
Soon after the formation of the Government of National Unity, and long before Deputy President De Klerk voluntarily pulled out of the Government of National Unity, the ANC was repeatedly accused of racism, and of promoting the interests of Africans only, and of neglecting those of the minorities. There are still public figures in our country, diehards who are still peddling this ignoble propaganda.
I have deliberately set out in full the names of members of the Cabinet of the Government of National Unity. Those who have respect for truth and for themselves, irrespective of their background, will refrain from tarnishing their own image by endorsing what is clearly a senseless propaganda by those who have no credible alternative policy to that of the ANC.
The subterfuge becomes all the more glaring when you discover that, apart from Derek Keys and A Williams, the latter a member of the Coloured community, the remaining five Cabinet members of Mr De Klerk's National Party were all White and Afrikaner. There was no African nor Indian. Yet all these national groups formed part of the ANC members of the Cabinet. Out of nineteen, there were seven members of the minorities.
The domination of Whites in the National Assembly in 1994 was equally striking. Out of two hundred and fifty six ANC members of the National Assembly, eighty-two represented Coloureds, Indians and Whites.
Out of eighty members of the National Party, there were eleven Africans, nine Coloureds, four Indians, a total of twenty-four as against fifty-six Whites, more than double the number of other groups.
Independent
1. D Keys - Minister of Finance
Inkatha Freedom Party
- M G Buthelezi Minister of home Affairs
- F F Mzimela Minister of Correctional Services
- B S Ngubane Minister of arts, Culture, Science and Technology
National Party
- F W de Klerk Second Executive Deputy President
- B J de Villiers Minister of Environment and Fisheries
- R F Meyer Minister of Local Government and Constitutional Affairs
- A Williams Minister of Social Welfare
- A J van Niekerk Minister of Agriculture
- R F Botha Minister of Minerals and Energy
African National Congress
- T M Mbeki First Executive Deputy President
- J Naidoo Minister without Portfolio
- T A Manuel Minister of Trade and Industry
- J Modise Minister of Defence
- J Slovo Minister of Housing
- K Asmal Minister of Water Affairs
- Z S T Skweyiya Minister of Administration and Public Service
- J T Radebe Minister of Public Works
- A M Omar Minister of Justice
- S R Maharaj Minister of Education
- L P Jordan Minister of Post and Telecommunications
- S Sigcau Minister of Public Enterprises
- S W Tshwete Minister of Sport and Recreation
- S R Maharaj Minister of Transport
- N C Dlamini-Zuma Minister of Health
- A B Nzo Minister of Foreign Affairs
- D M Hanekom Minister of Lands
- S F Mufamadi Minister of Safety and Security
- T T Mboweni Minister of Labour