Charles Molele
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to consult widely with the ANC, trade union federation Cosatu and the SA Communist Party (SACP) is the first clear sign that he is making his move to do the right thing.
Ramaphosa, described by his biographer Anthony Butler as an ‘ameliorator and a processor’, is not expected to announce his Cabinet at least until this Friday.
His practice, according to Butler, is to transform the antagonism and contestation of others into unexpected consensus.
The extent of reducing his Cabinet and the reconfiguration of government departments remain unclear, but word has it that Cabinet will be reduced to just below 35 ministers.
The next few days will see rapid action by Ramaphosa to consolidate his own position and weaken the groups hoping to challenge his leadership at the ANC national general council to be held in 2020.
Khusela Diko, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, told the media on Monday that the president was consulting widely, including Cosatu and SACP, before making his next move.
“The reduction of Cabinet has never happened before in post-apartheid South Africa. This a first of its kind. It has never been done. He is taking his time to ensure that the reconfiguration of government departments is able to work efficiently in terms of service delivery. In terms of the governing party’s guidelines, he is duty-bound to consult widely, including the national officials as well as the alliance and make sure that the Cabinet is well represented in terms of women, youth and geographical spread,” said Diko.
Already, ANC secretary general Ace Magashule’s grouping within the party is keenly waiting on how Ramaphosa will handle the issue involving former public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan and whether he will go ahead and appoint him despite the Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s report on Friday.
Gordhan was found guilty of ‘improper conduct’ by Mkhwebane for approving former deputy SARS commissioner Ivan Pillay’s retirement and payout. The report has already been rubbished by many, including Freedom Under Law (FUL), Cosatu, SACP, CASAC and the former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, among others.
It is also unclear at the moment if his deputy in the party David Mabuza will return to Parliament as the Deputy President of the country, but speculation over the weekend was that he is back after meeting with the Integrity Commission on Friday last week.
News reports last week that Mabuza requested that his swearing in as a member of the National Assembly be postponed came as a shock to many, even though there has been speculations that he will not be going to the National Assembly and will instead be going to Luthuli House, the ANC’s Headquarters in Johannesburg to strengthen the party.
However, this gesture by Mabuza is unlikely to stop speculation that all is not well in the ANC as it prepares to lead the sixth administration.
While Ramaphosa and others believe wholeheartedly in the work of the Integrity Commission, some members of the party have questioned the manner in which the commission conducted itself as it relates to the parliamentary lists.
According to a senior member of the party, by declining to take the seat in the National Assembly, it could turn the tables in his favour with the Integrity Commission expected to provide proof of his alleged crimes.
“The burden of proof will now lie with the commission, which has made the allegations against him. Remember that, DD Mabuza has never been prosecuted for the allegations against him. So as things stand, it is a game of chess with DD Mabuza presenting himself as a victim in the eyes of the ANC branches,” a senior party leader told Inside Politics.
“The starting point for the Integrity Commission will be to define the kind of allegations that necessitates that a member should not make him or herself available to serve in government. The weaknesses in the ANC has allowed the agenda to be set outside the party, which is a culture that started recently (in the past two decades).”
According to another ANC leader, these are decisions that should have been taken by the elected structures of the ANC; that is, who goes to Parliament or not.
“What is the status of the Integrity Commission in relation to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC?,” asked the party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“I think it’s the same challenge the ANC has been facing in government, where the ANC president now govern by commissions on decisions that should be clearly political. It is the same with the opposition, which often runs to courts for issues that are also political, i.e. instead of appealing to the voters that put them into power, the courts and commissions have become a substitute for deliberations and decision-making within or between political parties.”
He added: “They could also be an easy way out for politicians lacking a backbone or authority. Political parties and leaders seem to be averse to taking political decisions or fighting battles on the streets, which is what politics is all about in a democracy, it is contestation.”
“Certainly, Commissions of Enquiry are also a political strategy to buy time and a powerful instrument in the hands of governing parties, however, overreliance on them as a political tool does not seem to bode well for our democracy. However, as a strategy, they have allowed the governing party’s president to buy time and consolidate power within the ANC, which worked well for President Ramaphosa.”
At this point in time, with no leaks in the media from party insiders and alliance partners, Ramaphosa continues to play his cards close to his chest.
Butler, his biographer, says Ramaphosa’s “own deeper beliefs and opinions mostly remain hidden. People who have known him for many years have no idea what his position might be on central aspects of economic or foreign policy. Ramaphosa’s thinking has deep and complex ideological roots and he returns repeatedly to a preoccupation with the origins of persistence of the fundamental disadvantage of black people”.
On Sunday, his office said in a statement that the Presidency wished to advise that the announcement will be made later in the week.
“The Constitution of the Republic stipulates that the President must assume office within five days of being elected by the National Assembly – and thereafter appoint a Cabinet and assign its powers and functions. President Cyril Ramaphosa is emphatic that the new executive must possess requisite skills, experience, representivity and a commitment to the public services that will take the work of the 6th administration forward.”
Other ANC leaders who have met with the party’s integrity commission this past few days include the party’s national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, ANC Women’s League Bathabile Dlamini and former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane.
