Ramaphosa urged to hit back after e-mail leaks
AS the ANC’s succession race heats up with potentially damaging dirtytricks campaigns, presidential hopeful Cyril Ramaphosa is being urged by political analysts to strike back hard.
This follows details of alleged extra-marital affairs making headlines in Sunday newspapers.
Ramaphosa has been vocal against state capture and corruption, demanding accountability.
The leaking of his e-mails is widely seen as a political smear campaign against him, involving the country’s intelligence services, ahead of the ANC’s December elective conference.
Ramaphosa has admitted to one relationship, but says it ended years ago.
Political analyst Shadrack Gutto said Ramaphosa must fight back furiously and be equally as vicious.
“He has no choice. The question is how he is going to do it.”
Gutto believes the allegations were strategically design to cause as much damage as possible to Ramaphosa before the December conference. “There is a fierce fight going on within the ruling party. It is vicious and they will use everything.”
Professor Susan Booysen, of the Wits School of Governance, said the million-dollar question was whether or not the allegations would affect Ramaphosa’s campaign.
“I think he does suffer a bit of reputational damage, but if we look at all the responses on social media and other statements, people seem to be seeing the bigger picture.”
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga said there was no doubt the recent leak of Ramaphosa’s private e-mails came from intelligence quarters.
Questions sent to Ramaphosa by the Sunday Independent were leaked on Friday night and circulated on social media.
WMCleaks, an anonymously run website which targets those who criticise the controversial Gupta family and their associates, started tweeting on Saturday about the leaked questions and e-mails.