Ramaphosa handled the Phala Phala scandal badly

With acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka’s preliminary Phala Phala report seemingly clearing President Cyril Ramaphosa, he still has a long way to go to regain South Africa’s trust.

The whole matter has been badly handled by Ramaphosa, his protection staff, and his advisors.

Phala Phala scandal

Major-General Walther Rhoode has been in the police for decades, one doesn’t attain a very senior rank overnight.

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Somewhere it would have been drilled into him a sworn statement must be obtained from the complainant.

Known as the A1 statement in the police docket, it lays the groundwork and legal authority for everything which follows in terms of the investigation.

It is concerning a major-general could not get this correct, or simply order someone at the scene to open a docket.

Control the narrative

There is an old public relations strategy: control the narrative before it controls you. Ramaphosa should have learned this lesson when the funding of his 2017 ANC election campaign became known.

When the news of Phala Phala broke, all he seems to have done is dig deeper the hole he is in with an industrial-sized shovel in an effort to befuddle the nation.

Sorry, Mr President, but the truth will always be out. This raises questions about his leadership. Is he being badly advised, is this advice trickling down to the management of the country and worse, why is he not seeing the folly of listening to what he must know is bad advice?

It points to a man who, when he “widely consults”, is easily swayed, especially in this case. The break-in at his farm shows someone was asleep on the job when the money was stolen.

It was the same scenario at parliament, when Zandile Mafe allegedly sneaked past security and set the grand old lady alight. The building will take two years to rebuild. Ramaphosa has much less time.

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