[ad_1]
2019-07-22 05:00
The report of the Protecteur du citoyen is a crisis for the new president. And, it is an act that requires not only a legal judgment in his favor, but also a global change of being between him and his party, he writes. Daniel Silke.
It would be a euphemism to say that Cyril Ramaphosa is now a president at war.
After last week's dramatic events – in the hands of Jacob Zuma on Monday and Busisiwe Mkhwebane on Friday – the country is now facing a crisis of credibility on three fronts, with overlapping agendas that complicate the prospects for resolution.
Zuma 's resurrection of a litany of conspiracy charges and threats aimed at deterring other "comrades" skilled spies will have left a sense of unease within the US. ANC.
Given the history and sensibilities of the era of liberation – and despite the seriously tainted credibility of former President Zuma himself, the badertion that the ruling party still hosts a secret pool of ancient (and perhaps current) spies can create a McCarthy atmosphere in Luthuli. House and beyond.
When a political party fears that its main activists are not genuine or have substantial conspiracy grounds, it gnaws at cooperation and cohesion and ultimately prevents consistent policy formulation and implementation.
And, whether or not one believes Zuma's innuendos, the malaise in the ANC's corridors of power across the country will have debilitating effects on reducing the unity that is so critical right now.
Within the ANC, a first crisis of credibility is emerging: who are the credible or trustworthy personalities to move the country forward? For Zuma, his claims were sufficient to fuel the polarization already split that largely inhibits the good governance of the party in power.
The fact that Zuma tried to hijack and evade his own role in capturing the state was clearly evident. Nevertheless, doubting the legitimacy and reliability of the ANC also adds pressure to Ramaphosa's role as well as to his own opinions and knowledge in the field – not to mention his direction of a a fractious, fragmented and fearful political party, which was in danger of sinking into danger. stabbing the back to defend positions, power and privileges.
The report to the bomb of the Protector of the citizen, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, was broadcast before the Zondo commission on the background of Zuma.
Mkhwebane was already under considerable pressure as to her ability to sit as a result of a number of High Court judgments against her – and potentially more to come.
With swirling allegations that she herself is unfit to hold a position or is linked to a faction seeking to reduce President Ramaphosa's power, her own credibility has been questioned.
In this context, she also chose to interpret her evidence and research in such a way as to strike Ramaphosa hard. Without pontificating about the merit or demerit of her findings – which include suggestions of money laundering – she sewed enough seeds of doubt on the president himself.
Therefore, just as Zuma managed to deflect and launch accusations aimed at diverting all the spirits of the Guptas, Mkhwebane – rightly or wrongly – did the same. She has addressed issues that not only challenge the integrity and authority of the President-in-Office, but also suggest an equivalence of malfeasance between Ramaphosa and Zuma.
The insinuations of the enormous financial contributions made to the CR17 campaign in a climate of malfeasance and irregularities suggest a sort of "moral" or "immoral" equivalence between Zuma's misdeeds and those that could be blamed on Ramaphosa.
In the space of a week, the pendulum of the accusations is so far from the former president. On the political front, therefore, the credibility of the Presidency is also questioned.
No country can afford a crisis of credibility in its critical governance institutions. This bothers and undermines efforts to forge a unity of purpose and to implement corrective measures to revive South Africa.
Above all, the decrease in the legitimacy of the presidency and the Québec Ombudsman largely disengages the process of accountability of those responsible for the capture of the state. After all, suggesting that huge sums of money from donors have been invested in the CR17 campaign creates a second tranche of state capture far beyond the Guptas.
To that end, Ramaphosa now challenged Mkhwebane by describing the report as "fundamentally and irremediably defective", but also taking it into judicial review.
The effects of his Sunday night statement largely reflected the seriousness and urgency of the issue, but in the same way – on national television – advocating for the public and his own party. As president, Ramaphosa's credibility is at stake in a dramatic and damaging atmosphere. And with Zuma on the sidelines and other political vultures within the ANC waiting to bite the president, this is another troubling time for South Africa.
The courts to decide, this is a major issue that can lead to the end of the Ramaphosa presidency just before the start of the presidency or a process leading to the dismissal of the Protector of the population. It is difficult to see one or the other of the parties recovering from their findings.
That the position is clarified by the courts goes without saying, that goes without saying. But it is also clear that those who seek to undermine Ramaphosa will stop at nothing to create dissent and discomfort.
Make no mistake, it's a crisis for the new president. And, it is a decision that requires not only a legal judgment in his favor, but also a global change of being between him and his political party as a whole. There are currently several fronts of attack within the ANC. Some come up against it deliberately, while others enjoy unforeseen and unpredictable stress.
As previously stated, a new president desiring to overcome the rot of the past is facing an extremely dangerous time to face the vested interests of malfeasance. But with his enemies circling around him, he must be irreproachable. Any wrongdoing, whether deliberately, involuntarily or even as part of a political scam, creates opportunities for your opponents.
Fasten your seatbelts when we leave this one.
– Daniel Silke is Director of Political Futures Consultancy and is a guest speaker and a renowned commentator. The opinions expressed are his. Follow him on Twitter @DanielSilke or visit his website.
Disclaimer: News24 encourages the freedom of expression and the expression of diverse points of view. The opinions of the columnists published on News24 are therefore theirs and do not necessarily represent those of News24.
[ad_2]
Source link
