Extract
If you were disappointed by Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet, or still aren’t sure what to think, here’s a simple thought experiment. Just imagine that Nasrec had gone the other way, and that instead of being minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was the president of the republic, and that you were now watching the value of your savings evaporate faster than the EFF’s current account after a defamation case.
Of course, “it could be worse” isn’t that useful as a yardstick. But given the circumstances we’re all aware of, and the fires he continues to fight, Ramaphosa’s cabinet seems to be a solid compromise. We who are impatient for change might be disappointed. We want a government that is a freight train, gathering speed and starting to rattle along towards meaningful growth, renewal and social cohesion. But that would ignore the hole we’re in. Right now, we need a tractor – messy, noisy, and a little bit dirty – to drag us out. And this might be that tractor.
Still, there are some glaring weak points. Whatever offer David Mabuza made Ramaphosa, it must have been one he couldn’t refuse. Phillip de Wet, writing in Business Insider, perfectly summed up another shocker by pointing out that the people put in charge of solving the country’s jobs crisis are “one minister who tried to cover up Nkandla and one who helped try to sell Denel to the Guptas”.
Others have concerns that are perhaps less valid. Some expressed outrage that the ministry of art and culture has been merged with sport and recreation, under the questionable management of Nathi Mthethwa. In Ramaphosa’s defence, I think this is a perfect decision: after all, most South Africans believe sport is culture, and neglecting the arts is a national sport in this country.
The EFF, for its part, publicly rejected the cabinet in a statement ignored by the 90% of South Africans who publicly rejected the EFF on May 8.
In its angry press release it said the cabinet was an “absolute insult to the intelligence of the country”. Ordinarily one should ignore most of what the EFF says, but in this case we should pay attention: when it comes to insulting the intelligence of South Africans, the EFF knows what it’s talking about.
It finished its tantrum by throwing one final toy out of the cot, promising that “Ramaphosa will be treated the same way as Zuma”. I presume they mean the EFF’s leadership will put a corrupt puppet in the presidency and then get rich by shouting at him for a living.
In the end, however, all the cabinet winners and losers pale into insignificance next to Patricia de Lille, who combined losing and winning to become a sort of Schrödinger’s politician, simultaneously impotent and triumphant. Certainly, no other politician in SA’s history could have won just 0.4% in an election and then, 20 days later, found herself in the cabinet. (Also: beautifully played, Ramaphosa. If anyone has ever given a more elegant middle finger to both major opposition parties, while gagging a potential corruption-buster, I have yet to see it.)
So where does all this leave us? Much, much better off than 18 months ago. Considerably better off than a week ago. We’ve got the tractor. Let’s see how far it pulls us.
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