Ramaphosa and the gravitas of the presidency
At the heart of Jacob Zuma’s failure was the undermining of the presidency of the Republic of South Africa. Instead of exercising leadership in all its facets, Zuma mired the country in a narrative preoccupied with corruption. In so doing, he not only diverted the attention away from what a president is supposed to do (as opposed to what he is not), he also potentially lowered our expectations for those who sit in this most important office in our national life.
In large part this explains the Ramaphosa phenomenon — the mood has been one of great relief. But in the throes of this long-overdue national sigh, let us also recall and re-examine what a president is, lest we suffer the same consequences again and again.
Having a clean corruption record is a prerequisite but not a sufficient qualifier for a great leader. A president is first and foremost a reservoir of inspiration for the nation at large, and the communicator-in-chief.
With Zuma, this was all but totally lacking. What in theory should have been a people’s presidency quickly disintegrated into a presidency seemingly at odds with itself and incapable of staying out of scandals.
Inasmuch as there are high expectations about President Cyril Ramaphosa, a dose of caution is in order. The problems of the ANC, and therefore those of the country, are much bigger than Zuma. The problems, including corruption and the lack of service delivery, are a result of structural and systemic cracks. Zuma was merely the most visible manifestation of them.
This is what will most likely make the renewed optimism surrounding Ramaphosa evaporate very quickly; as time goes by, reality will set in and disillusionment will rear its head.
Underlying this is the incompleteness of the transformation project post-1994. Inequality has widened, poverty has increased and very little change has been seen since the election in that fabled April. A lack of meaningful investment by multinational corporations has meant that they have been skating by, not conferring any benefits to the people.
Despite the relative lack of scandal around Ramaphosa, he comes from a background (and is perhaps the face) of the elite; the elite, in fact, which formulated, and benefited the most from, the negotiated settlement that gave birth to South Africa.
Suspicions abound that this is where his true allegiance and priorities lie. In many ways, therefore, Ramaphosa represents the last chance of the rainbow nation. The elite pact that presided over and managed the negotiated transition from apartheid to democracy has been given a last chance to redeem itself.
As crucial as the fight against public sector corruption is — and it is crucial — the private sector is also not innocent and will need to be reined in. Illicit flows, capital flight and the taking advantage of loopholes have been the order of the day.
The masses will need to be right at the centre of Ramaphosa’s administration. This is the biggest challenge facing him and his cabinet. He will need to go beyond rhetoric, and act accordingly.
This also means, if only paradoxically, avoiding public opinion and avoiding leading from behind. This is not to say he should be reclusive, quite the contrary — he should communicate through every outlet at his disposal. A regular newsletter is indispensable so that the nation can understand the course he is seeking to chart.
He will not be everything to everyone — a Nelson Mandela comes but once in a nation’s history — but he will be far removed from the unpredictable Zuma presidency. Whether in domestic policy or continental and global affairs, articulation is a necessity. Defining and spelling out the national interest is crucial.
The private sector will need to undertake serious confidencebuilding measures and invest in the youth and the country in general so as to demonstrate that it is committed to the nation and not just parasitic. This is another crucial aspect of the president: he represents not a set of interests, but the people.
In pursuing that national interest, Ramaphosa should be balanced and pragmatic and avoid Cold War-like thinking. Neither the West nor the East are South Africa’s inherent all-weather friends, but nor are they enemies.
Incumbent on the president is therefore a realisation that South Africa faces myriad challenges.
Politics is a matter of fashion, and when the celebrations are over, South Africans will rightly demand demonstrable results. The only remedy for the oncoming criticism is to counter it as much as possible before it even germinates.