Ramaphosa needs to be wary
WE WAITED so anxiously for Jacob Zuma to go and Cyril Ramaphosa to step into his place. When, at the last minute, Zuma made an about-turn and resigned, we rejoiced. And when Ramaphosa was sworn in as president, euphoria gripped the country.
Then, we eagerly anticipated the next move: What would Ramaphosa’s Cabinet be like? Who would he keep, and who would he throw out? Would he trim his bloated Cabinet? We expected a purge of all Zuma loyalists.
Many predicted that first in the firing line would be former finance minister Malusi Gigaba, former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini, former minister of mineral resources Mosebenzi Zwane, former minister of public enterprises Lynne Brown and former minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Des van Rooyen.
To our surprise, his Cabinet was a mixed bag of the good, the bad and the ugly.
President Ramaphosa said his Cabinet was a strong team, but critics see it differently, more as a political strategy to consolidate his power and heal the differences between the ANC factions and build unity in the organisation. While 10 ministers got the chop, surprisingly, some of the worst ones survived.
We expected the axe to fall heavily on Gigaba and Dlamini, but they escaped the chop.
It was fashionista Malusi Gigaba’s first and last budget speech, but the man who, apparently, personally intervened to help the Guptas get their South African citizenship was sent back to Home Affairs.
Blundering Dlamini also stayed in the Cabinet but was transferred to the Presidency as minister of women and children. I wonder how she could champion the cause of women when she was a strong supporter of a macho man like Zuma, who was accused of raping his friend’s daughter.
On the plus side, however, former ministers who fell out of favour with Zuma were back in government. Pravin Gordhan, a fierce critic of state capture, is now minister of public enterprises and has an opportunity to clean up
the toxic gases in Eskom and other state entities. Nhlanhla Nene is back as Finance Minister, which bodes well for our ailing economy. Strongman Bheki Cele, another outspoken critic of Zuma, is now Police Minister, and this is bad news for criminals. Derek Hanekom was booted out as Tourism Minister because he stood up against Zuma. Now he is back to his former post, and this is good news for our declining tourism industry.
Ramaphosa’s Cabinet was a compromise. He tried to placate the deep divisions in the party and showed his adeptness in dealing with tricky situations. But the problem is he cannot please everyone. Some will not be happy.
We must also bear in mind that the transition from a corrupt government to a clean and transparent one will not be without pain.
He will face hurdles. But the significant changes and the progress he has already made in a short space of time instils confidence in us. Already, the gloom that hung over us is dissipating, and there is an air of optimism.
But Ramaphosa needs to be wary. All the eggs in his basket are not good. There are some rotten, smelly ones.