The bolder and more assertive President Cyril Ramaphosa has emerged in recent weeks, the quieter and more subdued have been his detractors.
It’s almost as if, sensing a change in the political mood of the country, his spoilers have slunk into some distant corner to regroup, await fresh instructions from their minders and reappraise their strategies.
In random conversations this week, there was consensus that Ramaphosa is outwitting his detractors.
He’s a changed leader, coming across as someone who has plucked up his courage and is far more decisive and prepared to face his challenges with greater gusto than in the past.
And they are in little doubt his new-found bravado has much to do with his forthright approach to the coronavirus threat causing widespread fear and anxiety across the country.
Now that government is committed to keeping South Africans fully informed about the extent and seriousness of Covid-19, people realise these are desperate times.
How we confront this national emergency in the coming weeks will make all the difference between life and death for many South Africans.
The people want to see strong and decisive leadership that will guide them to safety in troubled times. And in their desperate search for that they are gravitating to someone they see as their safest option.
In the face of arguably the gravest emergency the country has faced since the last world war, there’s no time to be distracted by any political infighting.
They are not going to be distracted by the political games being played by a coterie of mischievous upstarts and mavericks led by a sulking former leader bent on revenge.
They’ve witnessed a transformation in Ramaphosa’s leadership style. He’s no longer the laid-back “Mr Nice Guy” bent on winning support with his genial smile and promises of a new dawn.
Unlike some leaders in more developed democracies, Ramaphosa has realised how serious a threat Covid-19 has become to the country and has seized the moment.
Sensing that the deadly virus could overwhelm the country’s health system and possibly lead to untold fatalities, he acted swiftly in declaring a national disaster, announcing a 21-day national lockdown and rallying the police and defence force into action to save the nation.
It’s hard to recall when last South Africans were mobilised so swiftly into action in the face of a crisis.
And his bold and assertive leadership, supported so ably by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, also helped galvanise his Cabinet colleagues into one of the most consultative and transparent information campaigns the country has witnessed in years.
Yes, the lockdown is a bitter pill to swallow. Our lives have been turned upside down in a matter of days - but for a good cause.
Ramaphosa must keep the momentum going. With his new burnished image and growing public support, he has what it takes to unite our fractured nation against the gravest threat it has faced in decades.
Fortune favours the brave.
* The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.