The ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa – the white and black sheep
The current political landscape of South Africa is fragile. No one know what will happen tomorrow. Since the departure of the former president Jacob Zuma, so much happened. We’ve been into recession when Jacob Zuma was still the president. Immediately after he was forced to resign by his own party, ANC, The economy went into a joyride. We were out of the recession. Economist expressed optimism that South Africa’s economy may be back on the journey to the promise land. Even though we have being in this promising land journey since the down of apartheid.
Jacob Zuma left the highest office in the landscape in soaring and sobering mood. Then Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in as the new president of the Republic of South Africa, just after he won the African National Congress 54th Elective Conference held in Southern part of Johannesburg, in Nasrec. He brought with him the spirit of hope across the landscape. The Ramaphosa euphoria was so high, everyone was hopefully that things change unlike the incumbent Jacob Zuma’s administration that was dent with cronyism and corruption. How naïve of (us) that we believed that Ramaphosa will bring change instantly. I mean, he inherited a government in which was in intensive care unit. The state of capture report by incumbent Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Mandonsela, had brought in to the public domain the pervasiveness of corruption that eaten – like termite- to the crust of most of the state on enterprises (SEO’s) such as the Transnet, Eskom, Prasa to name just a few. Despite all this, we still believed that Ramaphosa who was deputy president during the time when these corruptions was happening in government departments and SOE’s would rescue us from poverty that is persisting. The unemployment will go away just like that. But can you blame us. We needed something to believe in as Jacob Zuma and his friends betrayed us, and erode trust in the government of the day. The same government that Ramaphosa is currently president of.
Friday, September 21, 2018, Ramaphosa announced five pointers #EconomicStimulus; Implementation of growth enhancing economic reforms, Reprioritisation of public spending to support job creation, Establishment of an Infrastructure Fund, and Addressing urgent and pressing matters in education and health. These are pointers meant to stimulus the economy in the hope that will create jobs, create a conducive environment for foreign investors to plough their billions in our shores, deal with many other socioeconomic issues – such township economy among others. The township economy issue is the song that has been sung for too long by Gauteng Premier David Makhura– surely eventually he (Ramaphosa) heard it and saw it fitting that should be a national anthem now.
In hindsight, people of this country are exhausted of hearing promises and tactics that doesn’t materialise. People of this country only want the following things; education, decent jobs, decent houses, all these fancy policies doesn’t matter much unless if you are middle class.
Joe Mhlari in Limpopo, who wake every day with no hope of getting a decent doesn’t care about your #EconomicStimulus zeitgeist.
We like to be believe these #EconomicStimulus, and the #Thumamina campaign have practical outcomes.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, must give people of this land dignified live. Otherwise the ANC shall suffer a painful death in the next general election. South Africans are exhausted of living in hope. For years ANC has being promising. I mean even a small child gets irritated with promises that never get to see the light of the day.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, we want to let you know that people will blame you all the failure of ANC even though we know something were not your fault.
Your administration must be the trajectory of change.
Rirhandzu Shingwenyana is a communications practitioner who broke his teeth in the Advertising and communications industry. A graduate of the University of Limpopo with educational background in Communication, media, Brand and Marketing management