Mbeki clarifies his criticism of Ramaphosa over failure to implement a social compact within 100 days

FORMER president Thabo Mbeki has clarified his comments about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s failure to deliver on a social compact within 100 days.

Mbeki has been widely criticized for his comments within government, business and governing party circles.

The former head of state made these comments during his speech at the Jessie Duarte’s memorial service in Johannesburg. At the memorial service, Mbeki warned of an Arab Spring-like moment for South Africa unless the government addressed poverty and inequality. He told an audience that included Ramaphosa, that despite the current president’s pledge, “nothing had happened.”

However, Mbeki said at the weekend that his comments were aken out of context, adding that he wasn’t condemning Ramaphosa at all.

“What I was saying was, we talk about correctly challenges of poverty, unemployment, inequality…when is the plan to address to address those issues? The vision is there, but when is the detailed plan to realise