Ramaphosa’s actions have set SA back many years

ALL in all, it’s been a sad week for South Africa.

The findings by the Section 89 Independent Panel – that President Cyril Ramaphosa has cases of serious misconduct and violation of the Constitution to answer for – have all but confirmed our worst suspicions: the much-vaunted “new dawn” was nothing but a false dawn.

We never got to see the major clean-up of the ANC, and eradication of corruption in government, that was promised.

And now we know why.

At the very least, Ramaphosa is guilty of not taking South Africans into his confidence about what really happened on his game farm, and the chain reaction of scandalous events it set off.

Then again, he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with details of the rampant state capture taking place under his watch as deputy president.

Now it seems, as a country, we are back to square one.

Just like we witnessed during the “wasted years” of Jacob Zuma, when “Nkandla” was the political buzzword, his successor has ensured all the talk is about “Phala Phala”.

It’s the same sad state of affairs, with the presidency and Parliament in fresh turmoil, the ANC locked in cutthroat factional battles, and the opposition parties baying for blood.

One of the first casualties of the panel’s report was the rand, which plunged 3% overnight.

The nation waits with bated breath to see how this crisis will play out.

Will Ramaphosa resign or step aside?

Will Parliament adopt the report? Will he be impeached following a vote in the national assembly?

Will he contest the allegations and the leadership race at the party’s national elective conference in a fortnight’s time?

Who will be the ANC and state president?

Time will tell.

What we do know for sure, if the past couple of terms have taught us anything, is that no matter who is president, if the ruling party does not radically change itself, South Africa will remain a corrupt, crumbling edifice.