Ramaphosa the Resistance Rambo spoke of ‘lapses’,’errors’ and ‘system failures’, but not a single name attached to a single person, not once.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appears on behalf of the ruling party African National Congress at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry in Johannesburg, South Africa, 11 August 2021. The Zondo Commission was set up by former President Jacob Zuma to investigate state capture and corruption in the country. EPA-EFE/SUMAYZ HISHAM / POOL
But when a rotund, elderly billionaire politician who is easily shocked describes himself in terms more appropriate to the depiction of a dashing resistance fighter behind enemy lines, it is too much. Crossing that impossibility threshold would strain even the White Queen. The course he took was better, Ramaphosa said, than the four alternatives. These were “to resign; to speak out; to acquiesce and abet; or to keep quiet and remain silent”.
He managed not to attribute any blame to any specific ANC politician or functionary, ever. It was always “some people” doing unacceptable things “sometimes” or “on occasion”. There were “lapses”, “errors” and “system failures”, but not a single name attached to a single person, not once.It remained yet to be divined through the use of his favourite governing tools: sundry “investigations”, “inquiries” and that other ANC favourite, “in the process of getting to the bottom of what happened”.
So it should be no surprise that this week’s testimony as the nation’s president carried through the leitmotif of the sessions as party president.
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