ANC ‘elders’ attack on Ramaphosa doesn’t sit right, but they’re not all wrong

African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) member Fikile Mbalula says the elders of the governing party must play their role correctly if they have issues with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mbalula was reacting to attacks on the sitting president by former presidents of the party over the weekend.

ALSO READ: Zuma takes aim at Ramaphosa and Zondo

Cyril a ‘criminal’?

In an unprecedented move, Jacob Zuma labelled Ramaphosa a criminal, while Thabo Mbeki said the ANC was infiltrated by criminals, saying the party ought to consider whether Ramaphosa should step aside if the independent panel appointed by Parliament found he had a prima facie case to answer about the controversial robbery at his (Ramaphosa’s) Phala Phala farm.

Kgalema Motlanthe also warned that South Africa is on a precipice amid the country’s mounting socio-economic challenges.

However, of all Ramaphosa’s predecessors, it has been Mbeki who has been consistent in recent times in his criticism over Ramaphosa’s leadership.

Mbeki went as far as echoing a remark made by general secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) Solly Mapaila that the country is on “autopilot”.

ALSO READ: Mbeki warns ANC not to dismiss sentiments that SA is on auto-pilot

The past weekend’s attacks by the former leaders of the party on Ramaphosa did not sit well with some party members and Mbalula was among those who quickly tweeted “this must stop –hands off Ramaphosa”.

ALSO READ: ANC KZN comes to Ramaphosa’s defence after scathing comments from ex-presidents

“ANC elders must play their role correctly if they have issues with Ramaphosa, they must call and sit him down simple.

“Zuma will not, because he sees fault in everyone. Mbeki and Motlanthe can, because they are not facing accountability issues,” Mbalula told The Citizen.

When asked how they will defend Ramaphosa and what he meant with one of his tweets “we will not stand by and watch this act of ill-discipline especially from elders.”, Mbalula replied:

“It’s as simple as it is.”

Rampahosa’s position

Meanwhile political analyst Prof. André Duvenhage says Ramaphosa has not been a successful president, specifically when it comes to implementation and execution of policies.

“Ramaphosa’s track record is clearly showing that basically on all levels, in terms of politics, social structure in terms of cohesions, instability and the economy, there was a lot of negative developments happening since he took office in 2017, and it’s clear that he is not able to turn this ship around.

“He spoke on Sunday about the recommendations of the State Capture Report but the question is, is he going to implement?

“For me it’s only a strategy to buy more time in order to get through the national conference at the end of the year, and there are people saying we will see a new president but I don’t believe it because in simple terms, the ANC is too compromised in terms of state capture,” said Duvenhage.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa declares the end of state capture, time for restoration

Zuma trying to clear the way for his candidacy as ANC chair

“Clearly Zuma used this to present himself as the victim of a set of circumstances, and he referred to Ramaphosa as ineffective in some ways and in that sense, he is correct, but I believe his main motive was basically to try and shift the blame away from himself, prove his innocence, and to pave the way to stand as chairperson of the ANC.

“But I don’t think Zuma can win against for example, Gwede Mantashe. I think he will be highly competitive and this may change a lot of things in the structures of the ANC,” Duvenhage said.

Mbeki truly concerned about SA’s future

Regarding Mbeki’s remarks, Duvenhage says it is clear Mbeki is not positive about Ramaphosa.

Watch – Mbeki not too keen on Ramaphosa:

Former President Thabo Mbeki asked what will happen if the parliamentary panel finds that Cyril Ramaphosa has a case to answer on #PhalaPhalaFarmGate before the ANC December conference 🤔 pic.twitter.com/X4YRCST4WN

— The Special one🇿🇦 (@Nhleiks5) October 23, 2022

“He (Mbeki) does not see Ramaphosa as the right person at the right time, and compared to Zuma, I don’t think Mbeki has the same political aspirations.

“I see Mbeki’s reflections as that of a statesman who is really concerned about where South Africa is going and what may happen to the country and I agree with the point he made that the elective conference of the ANC is a very decisive moment for the future of the ANC,” Duvenhage added.

Another analyst, Dr. Ntsikelelo Breakfast, says the past weekend’s political developments should not be a matter of concern, but they are rather unprecedented.

“Throughout history former presidents will back off. For example, when Thabo Mbeki was president and during the HIV/Aids moment when many families lost their loved ones President Nelson Mandela, who was even told by someone that he must not think he will rule from the grave, backed off.

“When Zuma came in, Mbeki decided that he will focus his attention on international affairs and less on domestic issues, but the very same Mbeki now seems to have a strategic interest in the outcomes of the ANC’s elective conference in December, where he is saying to ANC members they must think twice about the quality of the party’s leadership, basically saying to them: ‘regardless of the mandate you’re carrying, it might not be the right one’,” said Breakfast.

He says the former presidents seem to apply double standards.

Breakfast says questions also need to be asked about the motivation behind Mbeki’s recent posture.

“Is he (Mbeki) genuine about his desire for the renewal of the ANC?

“Also some people can already see the kind of outcomes likely to emerge from the ANC’s elective conference, considering that a number of provinces have already thrown their weight behind Ramaphosa hence the casting of aspersions on his capabilities as a leader.”

Asked if the latest developments could now mean the beginning of the end of the ANC, Breakfast responded:

“The lifespan of liberation movements tend to be affected by issues of corruption and I don’t see how the ANC will recover from this mess.

“The ANC continues to be embroiled in factional battles which I don’t think will de-escalate,” Breakfast added.