IN THE HT SEAT
The Ramaphosa era has been acutely disappointing to some, who feel the lack of action cannot be blamed on any fightback by allies of Zuma and the public protector. Others say reform is taking place
o prevail, every powerful myth needs an equally strong contending tale if it wants to enjoy serious longevity — twists, turns, tension, all the materials that keep the protagonist and the antagonist relevant. Cyril Ramaphosa’s New Dawn, sold to South Africans more than two years ago, has proven to be just that: another myth.
It was a promise wrapped in sugary bonbons, and delivered with the slickest of messages, as the answer to all SA’S ills.
The Gupta family, the parasitic and invasive alien roots from which the Jacob Zuma presidential stem sprung, were already established as the villains in the drama from which Ramaphosa would rescue the land of Nelson Mandela. That was the Nasrec moment in December 2017.
It’s now 20 months later, and we are told there is a strong “fightback”, either engineered by, or done on behalf of, the interests of the Gupta and Zuma gang. Only, the purveyors of this “fightback” story are the same disciples that sold the “New Dawn” yarn.
Ask why there are no tangible economic reforms on the go, and they will retort that the “fightback is strong”. Flip that coin and you will see a potentially different narrative: the New Dawn is weak or distracted.
So, to play devil’s advocate, let’s look briefly at the counterpoint: the existence of a fightback. The fightback is epitomised by the actions of public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and the myriad cases she is “investigating”. Mkhwebane loses every one of them once they reach the courts. But her actions, we are told, benefit the bad boys of our public lives. And she is aided by throngs of supporters, mainly militarised on social media.
But a legitimate question is: how does this virtual army prevent the president from delivering the New Dawn?
Take, for example, Ramaphosa’s biggest announcements, in February. They con
What it means:
The lack of tangible economic reforms is blamed on a Zuma fightback, but it may simply be that the New Dawn is distracted