Mbalula appears to have set his sights on Ramaphosa’s job

It was the Greek thinker Aristotle who first concluded that nature abhors a vacuum. It’s a scientific axiom that’s survived intact for almost 2 500 years, only to be now challenged in SA.

Here, we have the fascinating phenomenon of one vacuum seeking to replace another. Improbable though it might seem, the party’s voluble but vacuous secretary-general Fikile Mbalula appears to have set his sights on the position currently occupied by our very own hollow man, President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mbalula is relentlessly mocked by his critics for his towering ego. But he is undoubtedly a relentless self-promoter. And given that we have an administration that has drifted listlessly for over five years, there’s a definite opportunity here for someone who can play the role of decisive, forthright leader.

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Mbalula has his hand up. In fact, he behaves not as the party functionary he is but as if he is de facto president — issuing government directives, making foreign policy pronouncements, questioning elected officials and rapping former cabinet colleagues over the knuckles.

Earlier this week, he chided ANC-controlled municipalities for erecting statues and sponsoring football teams.

Mbalula was referring to the unveiling of Nelson Mandela statues in Mthatha and Qunu, as well as the sponsorship by the bankrupt Msunduzi municipality of the Royal AM football team. Both criticisms can be seen as not-so-veiled rebukes of Ramaphosa.

He is setting out a stall for himself as the no-nonsense, shirtsleeves-rolled action man – Mr Fixit, as he styles himself on Twitter – who is willing to tackle the heavy lifting that his pansy president is disinclined or unable to tackle.

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The announcement of the R27 million football sponsorship had preceded a Ramaphosa visit to Msunduzi by a couple of days.

Angry residents flocked to complain to the president about conditions in the municipality and beseeched him to address the hunger, crime and unemployment that stalks the area.

In typical Ramaphosa fashion, the president diplomatically avoided criticising the ANC municipal leaders. Instead, he told residents that they should count their blessings, since there was “no government on this continent that takes better care of its people” than does the ANC.

In contrast, Mbalula’s sentiments are likely to resonate with the gatvol residents: “Why do you spend the money of the municipality when it is impoverished on sponsoring teams?”

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Similarly, the Mandela statues.

Ramaphosa enthused that they were “beacons of hope to individuals and communities that are still suffering from the evils of marginalisation”.

Mbalula, however, rubbished the “expensive” statues. “Every council, when they run out of ideas, produce a statue.” It is of course true that a party official has more freedom to be outspoken than the head of government.

But Mbalula’s turns on stage directly challenge Ramaphosa’s authority.

Even more personally challenging to Ramaphosa has been Mbalula’s interference in Cabinet.

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Last week, he went for one of the most senior people in Cabinet, Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan. Speaking about collapsing infrastructure, he said “Comrade Pravin, move faster or we will move you.” This time Mbalula somewhat overreached.

While Ramaphosa failed to defend his minister publicly, Gordhan’s allies were outraged. The rebuked Mbalula issued a masterful apology-but-not.

Speaking in Xhosa, he said: “[Gordhan] complained to the president … [he] cried so much, I had to change my position.”

Neither Gordhan nor Ramaphosa will be mollified by his cheeky response but Mbalula, for now, is pretty much free to indulge his presidential daydreams. And the invisible presidency? As the estate agent board has it: “Vacant space for sale or rent”.

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