South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the Democratic Alliance party's leader John Steenhuisen as agriculture minister in his new cabinet, Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation on Sunday.

Ramaphosa's African National Congress was forced to form a coalition with rival parties to stay in power after losing its majority for the first time in three decades in a May 29 election.

Ramaphosa reappointed the ANC's Enoch Godongwana as finance minister and named Gwede Mantashe as mineral and petroleum resources minister, while Ronald Lamola was appointed minister of international relations and cooperation.

For years the ANC had traded on its legacy of ending apartheid 30 years ago, when Nelson Mandela came to power and successfully reconciled a country deeply divided along racial, ethnic and class lines.

But voters became angered by the ANC's poor record on delivering basic services including water, schools and electricity. It got just 40% of votes in the election, its lowest performance ever.

(Reuters)

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