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‘The writing is on the wall’: Ramaphosa’s win for ANC presidency certain despite Phala Phala saga
'Those who are part of RET forces wanted to use the Section 89 findings as a nail in the coffin.
President Cyril Ramaphosa before speaking at UJ Soweto Campus in Johannesburg on 8 November 2021. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
With a few days left before the start of the watershed ANC national elective conference on Friday, marked by intense weekend campaigning by President Cyril Ramaphosa and presidential rival Dr Zweli Mkhize, Ramaphosa said on Sunday there was “no crisis” over the Phala Phala farm saga.
“The integrity report on all matters that [the integrity commission has] been dealing with will be part of the organisational report,” Ramaphosa said yesterday in Cape Town.
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He had participated in the ANC’s Letsema campaign (voluntarily working together in SeTswana) over the weekend and appeared bullish.
“Like every other subcommittee of the ANC, it will be tabled before the conference and that’s it. There is not much to it.”
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A jocular Ramaphosa told journalists: “There is no issue, there is no crisis, just relax and come and listen to the political report. I invite you.”
Political analysts yesterday said those in the radical economic transformation (RET) faction, had hoped to use the Phala Phala parliamentary findings to cause Ramaphosa’s political demise.
Meanwhile, Mkhize expressed unhappiness about how the party handled the Section 89 independent panel findings which he maintained were too serious to ignore.
But Ramaphosa was unfazed over the weekend, pledging to continue with the anti-corruption crusade aimed at tightening the screws on those found to have siphoned off public funds, among them deployed ANC cadres.
Parliament will tomorrow hold a special sitting to consider the panel report on Phala Phala.
The ANC national executive committee (NEC) has already announced that it had agreed that ANC MPs would vote against the adoption of the Section 89 Phala Phala report.
Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast, at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, summed up the atmosphere: “Those who are part of RET forces wanted to use the Section 89 findings as a nail in the coffin to prevent the president from standing in the upcoming ANC national conference.
“The writing is on the wall now that Ramaphosa is going to win and the only thing that his detractors can do is to use this thing (Phala Phala) to block him.
READ MORE: Ramaphosa’s fall from grace is Mkhize’s ticket
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“I don’t know what happened to the principle of democratic centralism that a decision taken at the highest decision-making body is binding. But I think the discussion was not exhausted, with some people still with their hands up.
“But there has been a decision taken by the NEC which doesn’t sit well with some ANC leaders.
“Even during the reign of Msholozi (former ANC president Jacob Zuma), some people broke ranks, but people were given orders to vote against a motion of no confidence against Zuma.”
On whether Ramaphosa needed Mkhize or KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) support to emerge victorious at the conference, Breakfast said: “Obviously he does need KZN support.
“Ramaphosa does have pockets of support in KZN. I don’t think that on the whole, candidates from KZN will be contesting under the auspices of RET.
“We must remember that staunch Ramaphosa supporters (Police Minister) Bheki Cele, (Water and Sanitation Minister) Senzo Mchunu and other provincial leaders, have strong links and a support base in KZN.”
As former KZN secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli has topped the nominations tally for the position of ANC secretary-secretary-general, Breakfast said: “With popular (Transport Minister) Fikile Mbalula in the same contest, renders that position up for grabs. The problem is that Mbalula entered the race at the 11th hour.
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“While more prominent within the Ramaphosa faction, with his candidacy introduced quite late, we don’t know what may happen to the party structures between now and the coming weekend.
“Ntuli’s strong point is that he comes across as a unifier – not aligned to any faction and able to reach out to everyone.
“As opposed to Mbalula, he is able to pull the numbers from both sides. RET people won’t nominate Mbalula because they know what he stands for.”
In the build-up to the national conference, Breakfast said the RET, “except for the noise and occasional placard protests”, had failed to make an impact within the ANC.
“They (RET) were vehemently opposed to Ramaphosa from the start, using (suspended ANC secretary-general) Ace Magashule to unleash their operations
While conceding the bruising impact of the jostling for power within the ANC was set to be lasting, University of SA politics professor Lesiba Teffo said: “May the best woman or man win the ANC presidential race.”
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