10 things ANC president Cyril

Ramaphosa must do urgently

2017-12-18 21M20

First, craft an urgent exit plan

for President Jacob Zuma as
the starting point to restore
public confidence and trust in
the ANC and government.

Zuma should be given a short

period – two weeks at most –
to pack and go. Ramaphosaʼs
rise to power was in part
propelled by the promise that
trust in government can be
Cyril Ramaphosa laughs with President
restored and that all the ills Jacob Zuma while waiting for election results
Zuma represents could be in the ANC's presidential race. (Photo: Jan
Gerber)
eradicated.
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ANC members and the public
your stories
are looking
forward to this. Anything less would mean
Ramaphosaʼs victory was nothing but a political prank.
Allowing Zuma to remain at the helm of government
will make it difficult for Ramaphosa to convince voters
that under him the ANC and government will be
different. His first few, tone-setting weeks as president of the ANC
will be crucial.

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 Second, ensure Zuma is replaced by a care-taker president who will
truly uphold and defend the Constitution of the Republic.
Alternatively, Ramaphosa himself should take over and restructure
government. The first priority in the restructuring plan is a Cabinet
reshuffle that will see all Gupta-linked ministers and deputy
ministers immediately fired.

Third, he should find a meaningful role for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

in Cabinet or anywhere else, but isolate the crooks who backed her
presidential campaign. The position should be substantive and not
for window-dressing purposes. This would prove that Ramaphosa is
not a divisive and vindictive character. But her new position must be
such that she wouldnʼt be able to use it to reciprocate for the
support she received from her dodgy her campaigners.

Freed from the clutches of Gupta-linked individuals and other

dodgy characters, Dlamini-Zuma could still have something to offer.
Such a move would be key to pacify KwaZulu-Natal, a province that
had gotten used to winning after they got their way in two
successive conferences, in 2007 and 2012, but whose disputed
leadership emerged with a bloodied nose at the 54th conference. An
offer from Ramaphosa to work with Dlamini-Zuma could present a
challenge to her too: will she accept or sulk? She would have to
show character.

Fourth, once the restructured Cabinet is in place, move quickly to

restore confidence in independent state institutions. The first step is
to announce new measures to professionalise the National
Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and restore the integrity of the South
African Revenue Services, among others. The High Court in Pretoria
has already given Ramaphosa, in his capacity as deputy president of
the country, the power to appoint the head of the NPA because

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 Zuma is conflicted.

Fifth, provide a quick assurance that government resources will be

utilised efficiently and that the Auditor General will be given
remedial powers equivalent to those of the Public Protector to stop
the leakage of public resources. Given the discrepancy between
budget allocations and service delivery, the urgency of this project
cannot over-emphasised. It might take time to fix, but Ramaphosa
must at least set the tone.

Sixth, establish a multi-disciplinary team consisting of prosecutors,

experts in finance, tax and international law to investigate and return
tax money that left the country illegally through state capture.
Those involved must be prosecuted.

Those whose involvement in state capture is not entirely clear

should be investigated by the judicial commission of inquiry
established in the manner prescribed by former Public Protector
Thuli Madonsela. Ramaphosa and the new leadership must tell
Zuma not to appeal any further.

Seventh, deliver a statesman-like speech that seeks to unite the

country and lift the national mood. South Africans have increasingly
become despondent about their country. They need hope. This
should not be about winning votes for the ANC. The party will more
likely still struggle to convince voters in 2019, but for now the
nationʼs mood needs uplifting.

Eighth, restore the credibility of the National Treasury and remove

all suspicions of nuclear deals and other vanity projects that were
being planned by Zuma and his friends.

Ninth, announce the radical implementation of meritocracy across

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 the board. Many skilled people have been pushed out of state
institutions by incompetent and corrupt ones who bend the rules for
selfish interests. Restore the principle of Batho Pele and kick out the
policy of “Politicians First” that had taken root under Zuma.

Tenth, focus more on building South Africa than only on ANC

politics. The narrow focus on the ANC as if it lives in isolation has
elevated its internal politics above the people. This has led to the
drastic decline in trust in our politics, politicians and the ANC.
There's an urgent need to move beyond this regressive politics in
the interest of stability.

Ramaphosa would also do well to be realistic and accept that the

ANC doesn't have all the solutions to the country's problems. We
are not a multiparty constitutional democracy for nothing. It is a
recognition that we are not monolithic. The politics of the ANC –
rotten as they are in many respects – still show that many voices
need to be acknowledged.

- Mkhabela is a fellow at the Centre for the Study of Governance

Innovation (GovInn) at the University of Pretoria.

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 ANALYSIS: Ramaphosa wins, but Zuma faction the real victors

2017-12-18 20M26

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