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Media verklaring - 7 Maart 2023
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Skuiwe in kabinet - Ramaphosa het nie antwoorde nie
(Scroll down for English statement)
RAMAPHOSA KON NIE DIE RUBIKON OORSTEEK NIE EN HET NIE ANTWOORDE OP SA SE KNELLENDE PROBLEME NIE
- Nuutste kabinet is die hersirkulering van swak bestuur “recycling of bad management”
Die Afrikanerbond het met teleurstelling verneem van die kabinetskuiwe wat President Ramaphosa aangekondig het.
Daar was redelike verwagtinge geskep – en vir ʼn tweede keer kon ʼn staatshoof nie die Rubikon in die verwagte oomblik oorsteek nie.
In die laaste paar jaar struikel Suid-Afrika van die een krisis na die ander, Covid-19 en absurde maatreëls, verwoestende onluste in Julie 2021, die brand by die parlement, die Finansiële Aksie Taakmag (Financial Action Task Force) wat Suid-Afrika op die gevreesde internasionale gryslys geplaas het, die ineenstorting van Suid-Afrika se staatsondersteunde entiteite, ʼn ongekende energiekrisis, werkloosheid, hoë en brutale misdaadvlakke en soveel meer. Elkeen van die probleme is in ʼn departement met ʼn politieke uitvoerende hoof. Dieselfde politieke leiers is nog steeds in hulle ampte terwyl andere herlei word na ander departemente.
In geheel beskou is dit slegs meer van dieselfde. In sy staatsrede in Februarie 2018 het President Ramaphosa onderneem om die groot kabinet te sny. Op die ou einde kon hy nie, en is hy oppad na die dieselfde lomp en groot kabinetstruktuur van sy voorganger.
Op die stadium sou mens gehoop het dat President Ramaphosa sterk en kreatiewe leierskap sou inbring om Suid-Afrika voor te berei vir die potensiaal van onluste in die kruitvat wat aan die opbou is met wisselvallige ekonomiese, politieke en maatskaplike omstandighede. Kenners en buitelandse moondhede waarsku reeds teen die potensiaal van grootskaalse onluste en onstabiliteit terwyl andere praat van die moontlikheid van ‘n burgeroorlog. Niks in die nuwe kabinet dui daarop dat die president na die waarskuwings luister of dit dalk net ernstig opneem nie.
Wat wel duidelik is uit die kabinetskommeling, is dat die ANC-geleide alliansie met die SAKP en Cosatu ten alle koste behoue moes bly en dat landbelang aan die agterspeen moes suig. Terwyl die president die geleentheid deur sy vingers laat glip het om Suid-Afrikaners tevrede te hou en onsekerheid aan te spreek, is hy voorgesê deur die politieke eiebelang van die ANC. Terwyl die geleentheid daar was om deur ʼn versoeningsgebaar ook minderheidsbelange aan te spreek is dit nie gedoen nie. Veel eerder is die ideologiese belange aangespreek soos verwoord in die ANC se 2023 slagspreuk “Decisive Action to Advance the People’s Interest and Renew Our Movement”. Die ANC se hernuwing word gedoen ten koste van die landsbelang en die portfeuljes in die kabinet wat smag na leierskap.
Dit het nou duidelik geword dat, net soos sy voorganger, kan die land Ramaphosa en die ANC ook nie veel langer bekostig nie. Daar is te veel ongemak met sy Phala Phala knoeiery en deur sy gebrekkige leierskap vervreem hy homself al meer en meer van Suid-Afrikaners. Duidelik het Ramaphosa nie antwoorde vir die knellende probleme wat Suid-Afrika teister nie. Alhoewel die kabinet duidelik saamgestel is om leiding te gee in die aanloop tot die 2024 verkiesing is ʼn vervroegde verkiesing moontlik die antwoord.
7 Maart 2023
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RAMAPHOSA COULD NOT CROSS THE RUBICON AND HAS NO ANSWERS TO SA'S PRESSING PROBLEMS
- Latest Cabinet reshuffle is just a recycling of bad management.
The Afrikanerbond is disappointed in the Cabinet reshuffle announced by President Ramaphosa last night.
Reasonable expectations had been created and, for the second time, a head of state could not cross the Rubicon when it was expected of him.
In recent years, South Africa has stumbled from one crisis to another; Covid-19 and the related absurd measures that were implemented, the devastating riots of July 2021, the fire at Parliament, the Financial Action Task Force placing South Africa on the dreaded international grey list, the collapse of South Africa's state-owned entities, an unprecedented energy crisis, unemployment, high and brutal crime levels, and so much more. Each of these problems lies within a department with a political executive head. Yet the same political leaders remain in their positions, while others are simply recycled to other departments.
Overall, it's more of the same. In his State of the Nation Address in February 2018, President Ramaphosa undertook to streamline Cabinet. At the end of the day he could not, and is now heading towards the same unwieldy and bloated Cabinet structure of his predecessor.
At this point, one would have hoped that President Ramaphosa would appoint strong and creative leadership to prepare South Africa for the potential of unrest in the powder keg created by volatile economic, political, and social conditions. Experts and foreign authorities are already warning of the potential for large-scale unrest and instability, while others are talking about the possibility of a civil war. Nothing in the new Cabinet suggests that the President is heeding these warnings or even taking them seriously.
What is clear from the Cabinet reshuffle is that the ANC-led alliance with the SACP and Cosatu had to be preserved at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing the country's interests. While the President missed the opportunity to keep South Africans satisfied and address uncertainty, he was dictated to by the political self-interest of the ANC. There was an opportunity to address minority interests through a gesture of reconciliation; this was not done. Instead, ideological interests were addressed, as expressed in the ANC's 2023 slogan, "Decisive Action to Advance the People's Interest and Renew Our Movement." The ANC's renewal is taking place at the expense of the country's interests, and those portfolios in the Cabinet that crave leadership.
It has now become clear that, just like his predecessor, the country can no longer afford to have Ramaphosa and the ANC at the helm. There is too much discomfort surrounding the Phala Phala allegations, and Ramaphosa’s inadequate leadership is increasingly alienating him from South Africans. Clearly, Ramaphosa does not have answers to the pressing problems plaguing South Africa. Although the Cabinet has clearly been composed to provide leadership in the run-up to the 2024 election, an early election may be the answer.
7 March 2023
