OPINION: Who will now be the rightful king of the pride?

DAVOS - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa jokingly shared his “lifetime dream” at the annual South African gala dinner in Davos last week: “I want to produce a film about lions,” he said. His dream movie is about four lions hunting down their prey cleverly, forcing the animal to cross the river.

His message was as clear as the crystal white snow covering Davos: The cleverest lion awaits the pack’s prey, at the right place, at the right time.

Lions hunt in a pack. The Deputy President chose his roaring pack of four. They are ready to rule the jungle, especially now that the “kingdom” has voted, and the field is filled with grass for all to eat.

Ramaphosa’s story reminded me of the Lion King animation. The story of Lion King is a true reflection of life: Good King Lions do good things, they love and care, they protect their kingdom, they lead with pride, they scare the hyenas, forcing them to flee the prosperous kingdom and seek an alternative vulnerable land where they can continue their greedy habits.

- Mufasa, Simba and Scar are the main characters in the Lion King movie.

- The story is about Simba, a young lion who is to succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands.

- However, after Simba’s uncle Scar (Mufasa’s jealous younger brother), murders Mufasa, Simba is manipulated into thinking he was responsible and flees into exile.

- Upon maturation living with two wastrels, Simba is given some valuable perspective from his childhood friend, Nala, and his shaman, Rafiki, before returning to challenge Scar to end his tyranny and take his place in the Circle of Life as the rightful King.

I recently wrote about Ramaphosa’s effective employment of animal metaphors.

He himself is even called the “buffalo man” in some circles, and we know the buffalo is a dangerous animal. When wounded the buffalo ambush and attack pursuers.

Ramaphosa is now seen as South Africa’s Lion King.

The warm welcome he received from top global leaders in Davos last week is proof of my statement.

But, he has got to do what a good king should: protect his kingdom and remove the scars, the bad animals in the kingdom of hope.

He seems to be on the right track, and, like Simba - agreed not kill Scar - but allow him to run far away.

In the inner circles of Luthuli House, they talk about “the elephant in the room”.

I wonder what the elephant has to triumph about these days?

We know that the African elephant, especially an older bull, can be aggressive, even when not provoked.

Most deaths in Africa occur by the elephant trampling their victims to death. In places where the elephants’ habitats are threatened, elephants are even more aggressive.

Hyena features prominently in the Lion King story.

According to an article in National Geographic, “this is the underdog of the African bush, but these bad girls of the bush have garnered a reputation of ill repute, at times deserved and sometimes not”.

Here are some things you may wish you never knew about this unlikely creature: Hyena are cannibals and will attack and eat other hyena, including their young; Hyena are believed to be even more intelligent than chimpanzees, one of the most dangerous sounds you might hear in the bush is laughter - the hyena laughs to signal excitement that it has found food. The pitch of their laugh can indicate their status in the pack.

The ruling kingdom chose the top six in December, and it seems as if the African bush is about to blossom again. It remains to be seen who will laugh last when the jungle listens to the king’s speech in February.

One thing for sure: We know the habits of the elephant; let us hope the lion’s name is Simba.

This is the circle of life:

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There’s more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done.

There’s far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round.

It’s the circle of life