‘You mentioned 9 wasted years, we should add your last five to it’: Ramaphosa slammed in victory

While MPs were quick to congratulate President Cyril Ramaphosa on his re-election, many were stinging about the failures of his previous administration and new coalition agreement with the DA.

Ramaphosa beat out EFF leader Julius Malema by 283 votes to 44.

He was applauded as he took to the podium and showered with well-wishes.

‘Ramaphosa, you never kept your promise’

But among those wishes were message of disappointment, criticism, and warning.

Perhaps the strongest came from National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams, who detailed how Ramaphosa had failed to keep his promises to the coloured community on the Cape Flats.

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“It was five years ago that I begged you in Mitchells Plain to do the right thing for the suffering people of the Cape Flats. You shook my hand, you said you would. You never did.”

‘Add your five years to the wasted ones’

He recounted how Ramaphosa had ridden into Parliament five years ago riding a wave of Thuma Mina optimism, only to later add to the misery of many South Africans.

“You mentioned the nine wasted years [of Jacob Zuma’s presidency], we should add your last five to it”.

He said the coloured people were desperate for change

“Mr President, the coloured people are dying and this house has done nothing about it”.

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Adams said he wanted to support a Government of National Unity (GNU) but it was hard when the ANC had climbed into bed with the “right-wing fringe”. This was in seeming reference to the ANC’s coalition with the DA.

“The voters have told us we do not have the full support of the ANC anymore. Our country is at a crossroads. One wrong move and our poor will continue to die. Our fear is that the wrong move has already been made,” Adams warned.

‘History will judge you harshly’

The EFF was also critical of the GNU’s make-up, claiming history would judge the ANC and DA harshly.

“We contested today because we wanted to demonstrate to South Africa that we do not agree to this marriage of convenience, to consolidate the white monopoly power over the economy and means of production in SA.

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“We refuse to sell out. We did not do so when we were young and we won’t today. We do not have a history of being collaborators,” said Malema

He said the EFF would be disciplined, “not fight any bouncers”, and be the best opposition.

“This is not a GNU, this is a grand coalition of the ANC and white monopoly capital.

‘We are not the sellouts, they are!’

But PA leader Gayton McKenzie jumped to the GNU’s defence, saying those who criticised it were only hurt because they were not included

“I will support GNU and I am proud of the GNU.

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“There will be those amongst us who will call us sellouts only because they are not part of it. We have learnt from them. When they did it in 2016, they were not sellouts. They do not have the only right.

“When they work with white people then it is fine, but when we work with white people we are the sellouts. They are the sellouts”.

Ramaphosa: Healing from a ‘divisive election campaign’

Ramaphosa responded to the praise and criticism, saying he would take the advice and suggestions to heart.

“We competed against each other in the elections. It was divisive. But it was plain that the people of SA expect parties to find common ground and work together.

“The reality is that no party got the majority, so we must work together within the framework of the constitution,” he added.

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He also rubbished claims of a grand coalition with the DA.

“The GNU will not be constituted by two or three, but more parties that want to voluntarily participate. This is not a grand coalition of two or three parties. This is a Government of National Unity.

“We were here in 1994 when we sought to unite our country and effect reconciliation. We are here now.”