Cyril Ramaphosa succeeds Zuma as South African president
Cyril Ramaphosa has become South Africa's president a day after embattled leader Jacob Zuma resigned. He was the only candidate nominated by parliament, which is dominated by his African National Congress. MPs broke into song at the announcement. In his first presidential speech, Mr Ramaphosa, 65, said he would tackle the corruption which allegedly became widespread under Mr Zuma. The ANC had told Mr Zuma to step down or face a vote of no-confidence. Mr Zuma faces numerous corruption allegations but denies any wrongdoing. One allegation is that he allowed the wealthy Gupta family, to whom he has personal ties, to wield influence over policy, in an example of "state capture". An arrest warrant has been issued for Ajay Gupta, one of the three most prominent Gupta brothers, officials said on Thursday. This follows a raid by the Hawks, an elite police unit, on their home on Wednesday. The family has denied corruption allegations.
President Ramaphosa told parliament that corruption and state capture were "on our radar screen". He is due to deliver a State of the Nation address on Friday. This was delayed last week amid uncertainty about who should deliver it and Mr Zuma's reluctance to step down. One opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, walked out of the parliamentary debate. It wants new elections, rather than the ANC deciding on the identity of the new president.
It is often said that Mr Ramaphosa has had his eye on the position of president since the ANC came to power in 1994. The story goes that he was so upset at not having been chosen by Nelson Mandela as his successor that he left politics and went into business. But Mr Ramaphosa has now finally realised that dream. He has said his priority is reviving South Africa's battered economy. But it won't be easy: Unemployment is currently at almost 30%, a rate which rises to nearly 40% for young people. Low growth rates and dwindling investor confidence were compounded by two credit agencies downgrading the economy to junk status. One of the first steps in improving that investor confidence is addressing the persistent claims of corruption at the heart of government.
New hope for the economy There is a renewed sense of hope as Mr Ramaphosa is taking over the reins of Africa's most industrialised economy. The markets appeared to welcome Mr Zuma's resignation. The South African currency, the rand, reaching its strongest levels in three years - at 11.6570 rand for $1 in early trading. Some will miss him though, pointing to achievements like announcing the abolition of fees for higher education, says the BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg. Mr Zuma, a former member of the ANC's military wing in the days of apartheid, rose through the ranks of the party to become president. He led the country for more than a third of its time after apartheid. But he leaves office with several scandals hanging over him, and with South Africa's economy in dire straits.
The past eight years of ANC rule under Jacob Zuma have, simply put, been characterised by fraud, corruption and a depravity of governance.
This week, the ANC will choose their next leader at their 54th national elective conference, with the two of seven presidential hopefuls, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, leading the race.
If we are honest with ourselves, the election of either of the two frontrunners will not result in anything more than the same brand of ANC politics that we’ve endured since at least 2009 – an ANC that has allowed corruption to seep into every branch of the organisation.
This culture of corruption was evident for all to see in Johannesburg.
In a little over a year, we uncovered R16.2 billion in corruption within the City Council. This level of corruption doesn’t magically appear. It is purposefully cultivated in the dark corners of institutions by those in positions of power – in this case by members of the former ANC administration.
The two motions of no confidence brought against the Speaker of Council for the City of Johannesburg, Vasco da Gama, and myself, were frantic attempts by the ANC to silence talk of this corruption, and to re-attach themselves to city contracts and resources.
However, I digress.
I don’t want to just speak of the culture of the corruption represented by the ANC. I want to speak to how the ANC’s potential future leaders will only serve to further cement that culture.
In particular, I’m deeply concerned of the brand of leadership proffered by Mr Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa was once an admired trade unionist who led the National Union of Mineworker’s biggest strike in South Africa’s history, when in 1987, he led 300 000 mineworkers in downing tools for three weeks, and bringing the country’s mining industry to its knees.
Later, he and National Party politician Roelf Meyer, despite being political adversaries, set aside their political differences in the interests of negotiating a peaceful transition to democracy.
I believe that if Nelson Mandela had had his way, Ramaphosa, instead of Thabo Mbeki, would have eventually come to serve as president in 1999.
Telling then, is Ramphosa’s 1997 withdrawal from political life when Mbeki was anointed to take over the presidency in 1999.
Ramaphosa instead chose to enter the business arena, doing so at a time when corporates sought out politically connected and celebrated black men to give their organisations BEE credentials.
Ramaphosa, the vehemently anti-capitalist former trade union leader became an enthusiastic and adept capitalist.
I have no axe to grind with his commercial success.
Whilst Ramaphosa has evaded prosecution for any illegal business dealings, he has been implicated in controversial dealings such as his chairmanship at MTN during the MTN Irancell scandal, and his damning involvement in Lonmin during the Marikana Massacre.
It’s difficult to be anything but outraged at the mention of Marikana. 34 dead miners, 78 injured miners – most of whom were shot in the back.
It was Lonmin director and the ANC’s deputy president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was lobbied to secure action against the protesting miners. It is criminal that this multi-millionaire abandoned all knowledge and skill as a successful and adroit labour broker, and, by doing other men’s bidding, sanctioned the death of 34 black men who worked for him.
And so, who else’s bidding will he do?
In the past three years, as deputy president, Ramaphosa has consistently referred to ‘my president’ when referring to President Zuma, who has all but stripped South Africa of its assets that aren’t bolted down and immovable.
Ramaphosa publicly supported 'his' president until it became apparent that his president had backed his former wife in the leadership race, instead of him. He has since conveniently abandoned his sycophantic demeanour towards the president, and switched to dishing up the dirt on him instead.
In 2006, President Zuma managed to sidestep a charge of rape made by Fezekile Kuzwayo. The ANC mobilised in support of him. Yet, in recent weeks, aware that he doesn’t have the president’s support in his ambitions in the presidential race, Ramaphosa acceded that he believed Zuma had indeed raped Ms Kuzwayo.
How insulting to the Kuzwayo family, and indeed the country, that Ramaphosa didn’t have the moral fibre to stand up sooner. Why the sudden convenient realisation?
Let me say it plainly, in Cyril Ramaphosa, we have a dangerous individual who seeks to take control of our country now downgraded to junk status, because of its rent-seeking politicians.
Ramaphosa enjoyed social success as a trade union leader, political success in his early career, and corporate success as the multi-millionaire owner of numerous national corporations – what then is his motivation to lead the country?
He has no social capital within the country, indeed his order to the police to make a show of force in Marikana, which led to them shooting miners in the back, shows his utter disregard for black lives.
Perhaps Zuma is not the only captured individual in the ANC. Perhaps Ramaphosa’s business and political backers have been patient, perhaps they too are waiting for their pay day.
Just this week Cyril Ramaphosa tweeted, "The Johannesburg Metro belongs to the African National Congress. We must bring Johannesburg back home."
This tweet is telling of Ramaphosa, of the ANC, and their mind set, because they absolutely believe that South African cities, officials, people, land, and assets belong to the ANC.
Metros like Johannesburg are essential to an ANC that loots and plunders the metros' assets to the detriment of ordinary South Africans.
Mr Ramaphosa, the City of Johannesburg belongs to the people who live in it.
Essentially we have a presidential hopeful concerned with himself and his potential to strip South Africa to its bare bones.
I am confident that this election will mobilise South Africans in even greater numbers to serve the death knell to the ANC.
South Africa deserves better.
- Herman Mashaba is executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg.
Posts: 42940 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
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from one currupt African to another. siiigh! :(
-------------------- Without data you are just another person with an opinion - Deming Posts: 12143 | From: When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable | Registered: Jun 2007
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^Agree, I didn't even watch that sh!t. My country is messed up. We NEED a civil war, it'll really reset things. That's all I have to say.
-------------------- “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Posts: 195 | From: Southern Africa(Azania) | Registered: Mar 2017
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