ANC may be heading toward a necessary purge

It is quite scary how a week in politics can change the balance of power so much that it can seem like a year has passed.

It was only a week ago that President Cyril Ramaphosa was given a new mandate to continue as president of the ruling party, and by extension, a mandate to continue as president of the country. Just a week before his mandate for a second term, the president was portrayed as a wounded buffalo who was entering the ANC’s 55th National Conference limping and, indeed, unsure whether he would receive that mandate.

His opponents for the position of president of the ruling party were emboldened by the cloud hanging over him because of the Phala Phala scandal to such an extent that presidential hopeful, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma voted publicly for parliament to accept the report that recommended that impeachment proceedings be instituted against the president.

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Those in her corner hailed her as a heroine who voted in line with her conscience, and going against party tradition in recent times of ANC members of parliament voting in line with what their party line determines.

What her supporters failed to acknowledge is that she was an expedient hero.

Barely five years ago, the same Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma found it convenient to toe the party line in a vote of no confidence against her ex-husband who was president of the country at the time, Jacob Zuma.

Also Read: ANC top six starts disciplinary process against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

In her ambitions to be president of the ANC once her ex-husband stood down, it served her to vote with the wishes of her party, the ANC. Her following the party line instead of her conscience meant that she stayed in the good books of party loyalists which would continue to support her in her bid to become president.

Her choice to go against her party two weeks ago was for the same reason. If Ramaphosa could face impeachment, she would be a step closer to becoming president herself.

And it is this public display of disloyalty to Ramaphosa that can trigger a necessary purge of Ramaphosa’s opponents from government.

It needs to be pointed out that although the word purge might actually carry negative connotations of a political leader getting rid of opponents who might be a threat to his/her opponents, President Cyril Ramaphosa is left with no choice in this instance, because Dlamini-Zuma, among other notable leaders of the ANC in government, such as Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, have demonstrated outright insolence during their respective campaigns to replace Ramaphosa at the helm of the ruling party.

Also Read: Lack of support sees Sisulu’s political career hang in the balance

Sisulu, just like Dlamini-Zuma, might find themselves out in the cold when the president reshuffles his cabinet following the ANC’s elective conference.

History has shown that a president headed for a second term becomes a target for removal, or a recall as the ANC calls it. So, it would only be prudent of the president to remove obvious instigators and create distance between structures of power and governance that his opponents will need to make his early exit a reality sooner rather than later.

Also Read: Some of Ramaphosa’s NEC may derail his anti-corruption mission

Ramaphosa might choose to play the “here’s an olive branch let’s pretend to be united” position that could look good in the structures of the ANC but even he knows that those who wanted him out before he was re-elected are not suddenly going to become his biggest supporters.

Chances are they are already regrouping right now to plot their next move against him, and they will not be playing a pretend “unity” game for the cameras, they will be out to get him.

Thus, his need for a necessary purge before he himself is purged.