Does ex-banker Roger Jardine eye Cyril’s job?

Whether or not an experienced business executive should take over the presidential reins after next year’s poll is a conundrum that voters and political parties must solve before campaigning starts.

Widespread speculation about former First Rand chair Roger Jardine entering the race as either an independent presidential candidate, or the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) man at the top of the list, has ignited the debate.

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Jardine reportedly might be a collective candidate for the Multi-Party Charter For South Africa.

“If the DA tries to force that into the coalition, we are out,” said ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba who added that, should the charter win the election, a president will be elected out of the various candidates put forward by the parties themselves.

The charter noted there have been no discussions relating to a joint presidential candidate for it.

It is not unusual for a business leader to hold office with, among others, tycoon Donald Trump former president of the US and businessman Petro Poroshenko ruling in Ukraine until 2019.

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In South Africa, Trevor Manuel, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mashaba count among the suits that crossed over to politics. “Ramaphosa is the worst president we have ever had,” said Mashaba.

“It shows that businessmen might not always be the right one for the job. Should the rumours about Jardine and the DA be true, it might be a reprise of the party’s failed experiment with black leadership. I was part of the first cohort in that regard.”

“South Africans want change,” said economist Dawie Roodt, “and the extent of change is likely more than what opposition parties can presently offer.

“The tide must turn completely, and reverse 30 years of mismanagement by the ANC-led government in a 3600 turnaround.”

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Roodt added that a person from the business community that can engender trust among voters is likely the best option. The 2021 municipal election results showed that the electorate want change.

“Coalition politics will become our reality in more areas of government whether national, provincial and local,” said Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse chief executive Wayne Duvenage.

“Whether the new charter can make the necessary impact remains to be seen. If the Joburg City debacle is anything to go by, it looks shaky.”

On a national level, Mashaba is likely the only leader in the charter who has what it takes to replace Ramaphosa, said Roodt.

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“The rest of the field is weak, and South Africa cannot have a white president, which rules out the DA’s John Steenhuisen and the Freedom Front altogether.”

Mashaba said that the high levels of corruption and mismanagement in government has caused executives to shy away from politics.

“We need people who are appointed in positions on merit. “I’d rather have a technocratic in power than the current unrealistic and ideologically based politicians,” said Duvenage.

“What SA needs is a government that engages meaningfully with business and civil society.”