In a long and successful public career, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has overcome innumerable adversaries. Many of them smarter, better resourced and a lot more focused than Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane.
So, for me, given their respective experience and capabilities, the only way Ramaphosa would lose his current confrontation with the flaky PP would be through overconfidence. But watching him on television last night showed he has no intention of playing Anthony Joshua to the PP’s Andy Ruiz.
Ramaphosa was grim-faced. Chose his words carefully. And delivered the most rational of responses to her wild allegations about his integrity: We have requested an urgent Judicial Review of the PP’s findings. We believe in the Constitution, so let the courts decide. There is lots of work to be done and I won’t be distracted by this sideshow.
Firm. Decisive. Responsible. A massive contrast with a predecessor, who last week reminded us of extreme limitations. While branding his enemies “spies”, Zuma flip-flopped between co-operating or not at the Zondo Commission. And some of my fellow citizens still doubt the December 2017 watershed? As Chad’s Dad would say: that’s unbelievable.
