Ramaphosa is still gunning for Zuma

Perhaps it was his frustration with last week’s failure to remove President Jacob Zuma via the no-confidence motion, or perhaps it was his desperate need to divorce himself from the current state of the ANC, but Cyril Ramaphosa at the weekend was bullish that someone was going to pay.

Delivering his OR Tambo memorial lecture in Braamfischerville, the deputy president and presidential hopeful was adamant that those implicated in corruption and state capture should be brought to book.

It can’t please Ramaphosa that the ANC shifted the debate ahead of the vote of no confidence in the president from the removal of Zuma to some sinister plot by the opposition to enact regime change.

The message delivered by ANC MPs during the debate was that an attempt to remove Zuma would be a move to unseat the party itself – neatly tying the president’s fate to that of the ANC. As cheap a shot as this was, it certainly entrenched Zuma’s position – for the time being – and rendered him untouchable, lest his demise caused that of the party’s.

But speaking on Saturday, Ramaphosa seemingly dispelled any notions that Zuma and associates should be allowed to walk away. Weighing in on corruption, Ramaphosa said arrests should be made if people were robbing the country of its money.

He also hit out at state capture and the controversial Gupta family, whose close ties to Zuma and his son, Duduzane, have come under renewed scrutiny in light of the #GuptaLeaks: “If the money of our country is going to certain families, we must say we want our money, because that money is supposed to serve the people.”

It is a fairly good indication that he is not inclined to support any form of amnesty package for Zuma to step down.

About a month ago, unconfirmed reports circulated that Zuma would be offered R2 billion to step down – by the Ramaphosa faction.

One cannot imagine that many South Africans would have found this arrangement palatable, so we are glad that Ramaphosa drew a line under the issue.