President Ramaphosa's scorecard - again
17 October 2019
There are few issues that are discussed as often as the success (or not) of President Cyril Ramaphosa - even during Rugby World Cup time. Everyone (except the Zuptas and EFF) wants him to succeed and believes that he will succeed. But doubts erode this trust every time something negative happens in the country: whether it’s yet another SOE demanding a lifeline, or the case of a student raped and murdered by a public servant. And the recurring refrain is that if Cyril does not succeed soon, there will be no economy or country left to save. William Saunderson-Meyer recently posed the question: can he be referred to as Cyril the Tiger, or is he merely Puss in Boots?
What is our President's scorecard five months after he led the ANC to victory at the polls and was subsequently named President of the country for five years ?
On the positive side, there are several signs, many of which have been lost in the hullabaloo of other negative events. The appointment of an Economic Advisory Board with several international economists and experts on board, is a plus. The distance some of them have from South Africa and the prevailing ideologies could mean that they will come up with fresh and original plans. The partial acceptance of Tito Mboweni's economic turnaround plan by the ANC's NEC is a second positive economic sign. Purists have already complained that this is not enough, but it is far better than the hysteria that broke out at the launch, within the ANC and their alliance partners. What many people lose sight of is that Moody's investment rating of South Africa has not been scaled down to junk status - perhaps those looking from a distance can see that which we who sit beside the fire, cannot.
Regarding corruption and State capture, there were at least three significant announcements (in addition to the continuing revelations of the Zondo Commission). The first was the regulations for the authorisation of a Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to investigate the so-called “asbestos case” in the Free State - in which Ace Magashule allegedly played a key role. The second were the regulations empowering a Special Tribunal (consisting of eight judges) to impose civil claims in cases where the State lost money, and to expedite matters that result from the investigations into the SOEs. The Tribunal has already started its work and the amount involved is more than R14 billion. The third is the launch of an anti-corruption forum in the healthcare industry, with Corruption Watch and Section27 as partners - incidentally, organisations that are not slow to criticise government.