President Mandela and the Government of National Unity were inaugurated in Pretoria on 10 May 1994.

In terms of the 1993 Constitution, the ANC was entitled to appoint the president (Nelson Mandela), an executive deputy president (Thabo Mbeki), and 18 cabinet ministers.

Because it had won more than 20% of the vote, the National Party could nominate an executive deputy president (FW de Klerk) and six cabinet ministers, and the Inkatha Freedom Party could appoint three cabinet ministers.

The Government of National Unity ruled South Africa until the next election in 1999. However, the National Party withdrew from the Government of National Unity at the end of June 1996 because of the ANC’s refusal to include power-sharing mechanisms in the final Constitution.