SOUTH African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s testimony before a commission investigating state capture and corruption under his predecessor highlights the extent to which his presidency is mired in the mess left by former president Jacob Zuma.
Corruption and abuse of state organs became so widespread on Zuma’s watch that it has become equated to the capture of the state.
During his presidential term since February 2018, Ramaphosa’s main challenge has been to unwind and dislodge the Zuma legacy.
This legacy also includes a polarised governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), which he leads. The party is divided by factional contestations following three national conferences starting in 2007, an economy in decline since 2009 and the ANC’s electoral decline since 2006. State institutions and capacity are locked in a downward spiral.
When he became president, Ramaphosa responded to these challenges by calling for a “new dawn”, especially in economic terms. Before
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