Spare SA the clichés, Ramaphosa

The one cliché President Cyril Ramaphosa didn’t haul out of the ANC excuses box when talking about the truck arson campaign, was that “no stone will be left unturned” to bring the culprits to book.

Maybe he realises there can be few stones left across South Africa which have been left unturned, so often has the phrase been used by our politicians and forces of law and order responding to the latest criminality or social tragedy.

ALSO READ: Mkhwebane seeks Section 194 chair’s removal as Ramaphosa welcomes ConCourt ruling

He did, however, use most of the rest when promising, among others, that the perpetrators of the arson would “face the full might of the law”. So, just as the instigators of the 2021 insurrection have done, do you mean?

It is difficult to take anyone in the ANC seriously when they speak about important matters such as this, because the party’s track record shows that when it comes to heinous crimes, there are seldom consequences.

Even as he utters the words meant to reassure the country, Ramaphosa looks as though he has little faith himself in what he is saying.

ALSO READ: Good English while Rome burns is the Ramaphosa legacy we will remember

The truck arson looks co-ordinated and, as such, is another major threat to state security. It is going to take more than clichéd words of comfort to deal with it.