Ramaphosa playing his cards right to win over the electorate
MANY commentators have criticised Ramaphosa for lacking the backbone to stand up to Jacob Zuma or to fire Bathabile Dlamini for maladministration while she served under Zuma.
The critics fail to recognise the strange dynamics that operate in the ANC and how life was under Zuma. He ran the government like an autocrat.
It’s not entirely true that Ramaphosa kept quiet while he was the deputy under the reckless Zuma.
When Zuma dismissed Pravin Gordhan for the second time, and in doing so, damaged our economy, Ramaphosa, along with Gwede Mantashe objected to the move. But Zuma, being the incorrigible dictator, trumped up unsubstantiated accusation against Gordhan and fired him, regardless of these protestations.
Had Ramaphosa resigned at the time, he would have played right into Zuma’s hands and paved the way for Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, a Zuma acolyte, to take over. If that were to happen, the Zuma-Gupta alliance would have been given a further 10 years of life, the nuclear deal would have gone through and we would have destroyed all investor confidence in our country. In short, we would have become another basket case.
When it comes to Dlamini Zuma, Ramaphosa is walking a tightrope. His only reason for keeping her in his government was to placate the almost defunct ANC Women’s League.
Ramaphosa had to play his cards carefully and he will have to do so until after the elections.
Despite Zuma and Ramaphosa appearing to be in a cordial relationship in public, there isn’t much love between the two of them. Zuma is more aligned to the likes of Jimmy Manyi – who has joined the Zuma faction party, the African Transformation Party – than to the ANC.
Before the ANC’s birthday party, Zuma went on Twitter and ruthlessly insulted his party by being openly complimentary towards his erstwhile nemesis, Julius Malema.
It was a major coup for the Ramaphosa group to get the assistance of his pro-Zuma man in the national executive committee, Ace Magashule, to quieten Zuma and get him to support the ANC at the celebration.
Zuma didn’t realise what hit him at the celebration. His intention to embarrass Ramaphosa backfired.
Now that the celebration is done and dusted, Ramaphosa can focus on his opening of Parliament address. He will emphasise his government’s intention to deal with corruption in order to gain public support for his administration and the ANC. This is neither going to make Zuma comfortable nor his new ally, Malema, happy.
With a new National Prosecuting Authority boss, a revitalised Hawks and a public protector who has to tread carefully, Ramaphosa can comfortably leave it to the courts to deal with corruption, while he runs the country properly, for the first time since Madiba left office.
Zuma must worry now about his impending trial.
We are in for some interesting times, politically, in 2019.