Totally compromised

It does not matter whether President Cyril Ramaphosa resigns or clings to power, or whether he is absolved of guilt and protected from further political processes by his corrupt ANC caucus cronies, or whatever pieces of the confusing spider’s web of legal intricacies he uses to wriggle out of the national and personal Phala Phala mess he has created. The reality is that Ramaphosa’s years, perhaps decades, of masquerade are over.

As the saying goes, “you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all the time”. His public pretence of personal respectability, integrity, business and political acumen and statesmanship is now nothing more than a fractured façade. For good or bad reason, his presidential status is finally and totally compromised, and if he is really committed to the interests of SA, he should no longer consider himself the appropriate leader of our desperate failing state or his hapless, imploding party.

For too long Ramaphosa has plied our people with promises of a new dawn, an end to loadshedding, renewal, reform and unity, trillions of international investment funds flowing from his conferences and overseas visits, and an intolerance of incompetent, corrupt ministers and cadres. Yet notwithstanding his possible good intentions, his success in these endeavours has been microscopic when compared to SA’s needs.

Despite the rotten apples that are making themselves available as a potential successor, Ramaphosa’s resignation will not throw the country into chaos, but it might just be the catalyst that exposes the weakness of and breaks up the destructive, factional and dysfunctional ANC once and for all. If this leads to a realignment of our current political structures and the emergence of a strong centre with credible, competent, committed scandal-free leaders, it may be the best legacy he could wish to bestow. David Gant Kenilworth