Ramaphosa could not cross the rubicon and has no answers to SA’s pressing problems
7 March 2023
The Afrikanerbond is disappointed in the Cabinet reshuffle announced by President Ramaphosa last night.
Reasonable expectations had been created and, for the second time, a head of state could not cross the Rubicon when it was expected of him.
In recent years, South Africa has stumbled from one crisis to another; Covid-19 and the related absurd measures that were implemented, the devastating riots of July 2021, the fire at Parliament, the Financial Action Task Force placing South Africa on the dreaded international grey list, the collapse of South Africa's state-owned entities, an unprecedented energy crisis, unemployment, high and brutal crime levels, and so much more. Each of these problems lies within a department with a political executive head. Yet the same political leaders remain in their positions, while others are simply recycled to other departments.
Overall, it's more of the same. In his State of the Nation Address in February 2018, President Ramaphosa undertook to streamline Cabinet. At the end of the day he could not, and is now heading towards the same unwieldy and bloated Cabinet structure of his predecessor.
At this point, one would have hoped that President Ramaphosa would appoint strong and creative leadership to prepare South Africa for the potential of unrest in the powder keg created by volatile economic, political, and social conditions. Experts and foreign authorities are already warning of the potential for large-scale unrest and instability, while others are talking about the possibility of a civil war. Nothing in the new Cabinet suggests that the President is heeding these warnings or even taking them seriously.
What is clear from the Cabinet reshuffle is that the ANC-led alliance with the SACP and Cosatu had to be preserved at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing the country's interests. While the President missed the opportunity to keep South Africans satisfied and address uncertainty, he was dictated to by the political self-interest of the ANC. There was an opportunity to address minority interests through a gesture of reconciliation; this was not done. Instead, ideological interests were addressed, as expressed in the ANC's 2023 slogan, "Decisive Action to Advance the People's Interest and Renew Our Movement." The ANC's renewal is taking place at the expense of the country's interests, and those portfolios in the Cabinet that crave leadership.
It has now become clear that, just like his predecessor, the country can no longer afford to have Ramaphosa and the ANC at the helm. There is too much discomfort surrounding the Phala Phala allegations, and Ramaphosa’s inadequate leadership is increasingly alienating him from South Africans. Clearly, Ramaphosa does not have answers to the pressing problems plaguing South Africa. Although the Cabinet has clearly been composed to provide leadership in the run-up to the 2024 election, an early election may be the answer.
Issued by Jan Bosman, Chief Secretary, Afrikanerbond, 7 March 2023
