EDITORIAL: For the past decade – since returning to active politics as ANC deputy president in 2012 – Cyril Ramaphosa has carried the hopes of South Africans for a better future, but he has not delivered on the promise.
He came in at the end of Jacob Zuma’s first term, with leaders of business saying they needed someone they could relate to in the government.
Who could be better than a post-1994 black billionaire with a mining empire and a broader understanding of the frustrations of big business with an emerging energy crisis?
Zuma, who was busy helping his friends ransack the state and hollow out key state companies and institutions, made Ramaphosa the leader of government business.
Unfortunately not much came of that.
Eskom blew over R300 billion in the construction of Medupi and Kusile power stations with the notion that their introduction to the main grid would put an end to loadshedding and get the energy supply to manufacturing and mining back on track.
In 2022, the energy crisis is threatening to collapse the economy, and loadshedding is expected for 354 days in 2023.
Over two million people have lost their jobs and 60% of young people are unemployed, while millions have given up on ever finding a job.
And now, as one looks at the “Wenzeni uZuma” brigade baying for Ramaphosa’s blood, one can’t help but wonder: when is Ramaphosa going to put his energy into serving those who voted for him?
On Saturday, the president’s spokesperson announced that he will not be resigning.
Perhaps this is the moment for Ramaphosa to stand up and be the man Nelson Mandela handpicked for the future leadership of this country.
In February 2018, when he made his first State of the Nation address, one saw a glimpse of that man.
He apologised to the citizens for the royal mess created by Zuma’s nine wasted years that saw over R1 trillion fleeced out of the state purse in unprecedented looting activities now well documented in the state capture report.
Ramaphosa talked about turning the tide of corruption and accelerating economic growth and job creation.
On his first day in office he talked of a plan to create a million paid internships.
“This is the year in which we will turn the tide of corruption in our public institutions. We are determined to build a society defined by decency and integrity, that does not tolerate the plunder of public resources, nor the theft by corporate criminals of the hard-earned savings of ordinary people.”
Wow!
Mr President, let’s get back to that.
This is no time to resign. Do you not hear the masses sing “Phakama Ramaphosa ixesha lifikile”?
Now will the real Cyril Ramaphosa stand up?
