South Africa's coalition cabinet talks are disrupted by disagreements ...

JOHANNESBURG — Talks between South Africa’s two biggest parties about forming a coalition cabinet were plunged into jeopardy after disagreements between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance over ministerial roles, according to people involved in the negotiations.

Leaders of the DA, the country’s second biggest party, have been angered by leaks of confidential letters and what they say is deal-breaking conduct by their ANC counterparts.

The ANC was forced to form a coalition government after failing to secure a simple majority in South Africa’s election last month. The center-right DA won the second largest share of the vote in the election and the two parties, traditionally foes, agreed to form a coalition with smaller parties. That enabled ANC leader President Cyril Ramaphosa to become the leader of Africa’s biggest economy for five more years.

But, following disagreements over ministerial roles and high profile leaks about the negotiations, DA Chair Helen Zille on Thursday told the party’s leaders to prepare to walk away from the landmark deal struck with the ANC this month.

“If we cannot get meaningful portfolios that make it possible for us to fulfill our commitment to our country, then we’d rather remain five more years in opposition until we become the biggest party and then we can determine the frame,” she said in a meeting on Thursday, a DA official familiar with the internal discussion told Semafor Africa.