What is wrong with President Cyril Ramaphosa? It seems odd to ask that when 70 is the new 50, but is he too old and tired?
What is he doing? Making peace between Russia and Ukraine (he and a group of African leaders, who collectively have little international clout). What else?
Few leaders in democracies have reputations that have slipped as low as his has over the last five years. What a disappointment. Instead of Ramaphoria, Ramadisillusion.
Is anything in our country better than it was in 2018? The list of failures is so long and so well-known that it is becoming boring to repeat it.
Just the latest was the announcement that South Africa is importing veterinary drugs from Botswana because Onderstepoort cannot make them and also will no longer provide emergency services for pets after hours because of loadshedding, crime and staff shortages.
The world-renowned Onderstepoort and Pretoria University Veterinary Science faculty, established by Sir Arnold Theiler over a hundred years ago, and the veterinary profession are suffering. Nearly half the young vets in SA are leaving or considering emigrating. Does this worry the president?
This is directly ascribable to the type of country we are becoming after more than a generation of ANC misrule, led by Ramaphosa as deputy-president for four years and as president for five.
Presidential inertia or lackadaisical attitude and cabinet ineptitude by the largest ministerial component in our history is supplemented by presidential shock and concern about every crisis, followed by him appointing yet another task group, minister, adviser, war room, cabinet committee or judicial commission. My suggestion is that if the Springbok flyhalves fail, Ramaphosa could be a good replacement because he is a superb kicker of the ball into touch.
Added to this, is his failure to tell the truth to us. Ramaphosa actually had the temerity to say, regarding allegations by Andre de Ruyter, that he had no evidence about looting by ministers. We are expected to believe that neither the SAP, nor their minister, nor Pravin Gordhan, nor Sydney Mufamadi, (his security adviser), shared with the president what de Ruyter told them.
Just as bad, if not worse, is the president’s feigned ignorance about the Russian ship that docked in a naval harbour and either did or did not offload and load arms meant to assist the Russians in their war against Ukraine.
The president knew nothing about the matter, according to his unbelievable statement in Parliament, yet in December last year, the US warned the SA government that the ship was approaching and raised the question with Mufamadi when he visited Washington DC. As is customary with Ramaphosa he was surprised. He said he would appoint a retired judge to head an enquiry. At the time of writing, 14 days, later, no appointment has been announced. The US must be thrilled at his firm, determined and speedy action. It seems that Mufamadi did not even whisper anything to the president. This led to another ANC record: the worst exchange rate in history.
Perhaps Ramaphosa should step aside and make way for one of the aspiring geniuses in his cabinet. How about Minister Cele; he always looks so smart, wearing his hat indoors and out? Or Mbalula, the brilliant ex-transport minister, who probably holds the record for fibs: he says load-shedding will end by the end of this year.
Better still, how about stepping aside for an opposition-led coalition government?
Douglas Gibson is a former opposition chief whip and a former ambassador to Thailand.
This article first appeared in The Star newspaper.
