Ramaphosa’s biggest mistake may not be that he failed to clean up the ANC. It may be that he tried — but only when it suited him, writes Zukile Majova in Real Politics.
Spare a thought for President Cyril Ramaphosa — under pressure, exposed, and now facing his biggest test since returning to office last year.
Just one year into his second term, he risks becoming a lame duck president. His clean-up campaign has run out of steam, his party is bleeding support, and now his closest allies are being exposed for corruption.
And instead of taking bold action, Ramaphosa blinked.
Last week, the president suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu with full pay, after explosive claims from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi said Mchunu was interfering with police investigations and lying to Parliament. The top cop also named a middleman, Brown Mogotsi, who he says links Mchunu to dodgy businessmen like Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala — who bagged a R360-million police tender.
Mchunu claimed he didn’t know Mogotsi. That was a lie.
This scandal broke while Ramaphosa was in Brazil for the BRICS summit. But even when he returned, he stopped short of doing the obvious thing — firing Mchunu.
Ministers serve at the president’s pleasure. Ramaphosa didn’t need a court case or a full hearing. But instead of taking decisive action, he announced a six-month judicial commission of inquiry.
It was a cop-out.
And it makes him look exactly like what his critics say he is: a president who protects his friends while punishing his enemies.
It’s not the first time.
When then justice minister Thembi Simelane was linked to the VBS Bank looting scandal, she was quietly moved to human settlements. Problem solved.
Just a week before suspending Mchunu, Ramaphosa had fired Andrew Whitfield — a deputy minister from the Democratic Alliance — for travelling to the United States without permission.
Whitfield’s dismissal was swift and brutal.
But when it comes to his allies, Ramaphosa hesitates.
Mchunu is not just another minister. Known as “Macingwana”, he is one of Ramaphosa’s last loyal supporters in KwaZulu-Natal — a province where the president has never been strong.
The African National Congress (ANC) got just 17% of the vote there in the recent elections, down from over 50%. Most of that support went to Jacob Zuma’s new uMkhonto Wesizwe party.
That makes Mchunu valuable. Too valuable to lose.
Firing him would not only damage Ramaphosa’s power in the province, it would open the door for his enemies — especially Zuma’s allies — to push for his removal as ANC leader.
But keeping him makes the president look weak. And it sends a message that his “new dawn” is dead.
Ramaphosa came into office promising a clean government and a fresh start. He pushed out Zuma, jailed him for contempt of court, and went after big names like Ace Magashule, the former secretary-general of the ANC.
He was seen as the man to clean up the mess.
But voters have stopped believing.
In 2019, the ANC got 57% of the national vote. In 2024, that dropped below 40%. For the first time in 30 years, it needed a coalition to stay in power.
That’s not just bad news for the party. It’s personal for Ramaphosa, who now seems more focused on saving his legacy than fixing the country.
He is already being accused of grooming his replacement — billionaire businessman and Confederation of African Football boss Patrice Motsepe.
The plan, according to ANC insiders, is to keep the renewal project alive by installing someone close to him before the next elective conference in 2027. Mchunu is also a key player in this succession race and is punted as the next deputy president.
But Ramaphosa will not have his wish if the corruption scandals pile up.
And they are piling up.
Just this week, it was revealed that Ramaphosa’s special envoy to the United States, Mcebisi Jonas, had been denied a visa. Jonas was meant to fix relations after the fallout between the ANC and former US president Donald Trump — who had accused the government of turning a blind eye to the murder of white farmers.
But Jonas himself had insulted Trump in a leaked audio clip, calling him a white supremacist.
It was a diplomatic disaster.
He was only in the job because Ramaphosa had to replace Ebrahim Rasool, the former ambassador, who also got the boot for calling Trump a white supremacist.
Now Ramaphosa’s man can’t even get into the US.
The dream of rebuilding international trust is slipping away. The same is happening at home.
Ramaphosa’s biggest mistake may not be that he failed to clean up the ANC. It may be that he tried — but only when it suited him.
He went after Zuma. He jailed Magashule. But when it comes to his own people, he closes ranks.
That may protect his power for now. But it’s killing his credibility.
Voters notice. And they don’t forget.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Image source: GCIS
