Nkosikhulule Nyembezi
Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken another negative and irreversible step that could diminish public confidence in his leadership’s ability to fight corruption successfully.
Answering questions in the National Assembly on September 29, he fell short of spelling out demonstrable action to back up his lukewarm commitment to implement the Zondo Commission recommendations.
He made a welcome U-turn on what he stated in court papers in the DA’s court case – to declare cadre deployment unlawful – that the Zondo Commission recommendations are “not binding”. However, he failed to announce tangible progress, including a Cabinet reshuffle.
Attempts to remove individuals implicated in corruption and maladministration from positions of power are a full-scale war, which Ramaphosa seems to be losing.
While trying to put on a brave face, there was an observable atmosphere of suspicion in the National Assembly that he was buying time ahead of the ANC’s elective conference in December, even as he also admitted that there was a theft at his Phala Phala farm.
He did not reveal details to dispel suspicions of money laundering and other illegal activities undermining his ethical obligations.
Instead, he only repeated that he is willing and prepared to account to Parliament about the matter and to subject himself “to all manner of investigations as well as inquiries” and other processing. Whether “other processing” will take him down the ANC’s step-aside route remains to be seen, considering the long list of individuals available to contest for the ANC presidency.
Not even Acting Public Protector advocate Kholeka Gcaleka’s statement in the media last week showed that Ramaphosa was forthright in his disclosures when she said that her office’s investigation into the robbery is ongoing, “people shouldn’t panic about it”.
The strategy is no surprise given his history of putting the interests of the ANC above the state and his leadership ambitions above the importance of being transparent and accountable for his role in the farm matter and, more importantly, the ANC failures in government.
He is becoming famous for over-promises on government commitments to fight corruption and claiming for the ANC success that does not belong to it in rooting out corruption that has become endemic in our society.
It became more likely that his scheduled appearances to answer questions in Parliament would be heated once his initial responses were faring poorly on the ANC-led tripartite alliance and general public confidence fronts, and that discontent was stirring.
Indeed, it was clear again that opposition parties and the public would press for answers once the ANC used its majority in Parliament last week to block a DA motion, which called for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to investigate the Phala Phala matter. The ANC argued that Parliament should not deal with the issue yet as law enforcement agencies are already probing, a similar argument that the party used in 2016 to frustrate a proposed ad hoc committee to look into state capture.
All opposition parties in the house, except the Good Party, backed the motion. That is a significant indicator of how impatient opposition parties have become with Ramaphosa’s lukewarm leadership style on several critical issues.
The African Transformation Movement (ATM) previously tabled a motion requesting the house to initiate an inquiry into Ramaphosa’s removal from office as provided for by section 89 of the Constitution. But the ANC’s move to block critical motions is no less wrong or dangerous for its predictability. It reflects continuous evading of accountability by putting the party above the country.
True, there were several prospects for Ramaphosa to instantly use his appearance last week in Parliament to boost public confidence in his ability to act decisively on urgent matters, given that he is nearing the end of his term of office.
Still, his unsatisfactory answers on the Phala Phala farm matter and many critical issues, such as the electricity crisis, have effectively barred the way to regaining public confidence in achieving the many unfulfilled promises since becoming president.
Following last week’s events in Parliament, you might wonder why anyone would want the efforts of politicians and law enforcement authorities to pull in opposite directions.
Isn’t such efforts a demonstration of collective responsibility to hold those in government accountable and restore confidence in South Africa as a preferred investment destination?
But that kind of division of labour is not unusual considering the 2016 debacles surrounding the proposal to establish an ad hoc committee to look into state capture.
Though those calling Ramaphosa to account on critical issues regarding good governance and economic recovery must act with care, they must also act with determination, not deterred by ANC factional battles. They must support the work of the recently-appointed three-person panel of former Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo, former Judge Thokozile Masipa, and advocate Mahlape Sello to determine within 30 days whether Ramaphosa has a case to answer. They must proceed to swiftly implement the next stage of the process as deemed appropriate.
The tone of the ANC MPs confirms that this will be a long battle calculated to influence the balance of power in the party. They do not show party preparedness to expose Ramaphosa in the short term to a vote of no confidence based on the party’s failures in government.
In the past four years, the revelations of the extent of corruption and state capture in our society shocked most people. They thought Ramaphosa would remain untainted as he championed the undoing of the damage to the economy and our lives.
However, the piling disappointments will likely shift confidence away from him and the ANC.
Most South Africans would already prefer to see the economy and quality of life improve under Ramaphosa’s leadership. At the same time, our president, missing out on another opportunity to answer questions in Parliament convincingly and courageously, firing corrupt government individuals, has just boxed himself further in, alienating factional party interests.
Nyembezi is a policy analyst and human rights activist.
Cape Times