A delicate balancing act for Ramaphosa and ANC leaders
It is a jam-packed political week, culminating in the ANC launching its Thuma Mina campaign, with an address by President Cyril Ramaphosa and then the party’s much-anticipated land summit at the weekend.
“Thuma Mina” or “send me” was the catchphrase used by Ramaphosa during his maiden state of the nation address in February, indicating his willingness to serve.
The ANC is now turning the phrase into a fully fledged campaign focusing on “rapid response” in the government.
Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address at the launch of the campaign on Friday.
On Saturday, the ANC will hold a “land summit”. According to spokesman Pule Mabe, further details of the summit will be announced by secretary-general Ace Magashule on Monday.
It is unclear whether the summit will be an internal workshop for the ANC or if it will include the public. But the debate will centre on the most critical issue in SA today.
It is also a key week for former president Jacob Zuma and his allies. On Tuesday, Zuma continues his legal bid against 16 charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering related to the arms deal. Zuma’s lawyers earlier indicated they would launch a review application of the charges on May 15.
Zuma ally and former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini has until Monday to respond to a scathing report by Judge Bernard Ngoepe to help the Constitutional Court to determine if she should be held personally liable for costs in cases linked to the 2017 crisis at the South African Social Security Agency.
Ngoepe found Dlamini to be a “less than satisfactory witness” who was “evasive”.
Once parties, including Dlamini and civil society group Black Sash, make further submissions, the court will make a determination on whether Dlamini should pay costs out of her own pocket.
Another Zuma loyalist, suspended South African Revenue Service commissioner Tom Moyane, will decide this week whether to proceed with legal action against Ramaphosa over the disciplinary inquiry he is set to face. Moyane’s lawyers gave Ramaphosa until Monday to respond to their demands around the inquiry to be chaired by former Constitutional Court judge Kate O’Regan.
Moyane is understood to be unhappy about the inquiry and wants the state to pay his bill.
The noose is tightening around North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, who last week called on his province to support Zuma at court in June. The ANC’s top six will on Monday discuss his fate after he backtracked on his resignation last week. The national working committee will then weigh in on the matter next Monday and a final showdown is expected at an ANC national executive committee meeting in late May.
The three-week bus strike is set to continue after a near settlement on Friday. Unions want the agreement to be backdated to April 1.