Cyril Ramaphosa's first major test will be the announcement of a reduced Cabinet. He has said that the executive needs to be trimmed and his supporters will hold him to this promise, writes Adriaan Basson.
The peoplehave spoken. They have handed President Cyril Ramaphosa one chance to saveSouth Africa and clean up the mess left by his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
The ANC'selectoral victory has been the country's gift to Ramaphosa, a tradeunionist-turned-millionaire-businessman who played the long game and remainedin Zuma's slipstream during the "nine wasted years".
HadRamaphosa not emerged victorious from the ANC's Nasrec conference in December2017, the party may have been voted out of power this week. NkosazanaDlamini-Zuma, who has subsequently become one of Ramaphosa's closest allies,was just too close to the Zupta's state capture fire.
Ramaphosahas literally saved the party from extinction. Enough South Africans believehim that he will lead the country out of the depths of state capture,corruption and rent-seeking that was the hallmark of the Zuma era.
Theybelieved that he did not know about his son's dealings with Bosasa and has forgiven him for his role in the Marikana massacre, for which heapologised. They accepted his apology for his own complicity in not standing upfirmly against state capture.
It is now upto Ramaphosa to make or break their fragile trust.
His firstmajor test will be the announcement of a reduced Cabinet. Ramaphosa has saidthat the executive needs to be trimmed and his supporters will hold him to thispromise.
A developing,struggling country like South Africa simply cannot afford 33 ministries. He canshave off at least ten of these ministries and merge departments that do notdeserve to be alone.
His nextmove will be the appointment of his new Cabinet. Ramaphosa inherited Zuma'sfinal executive and was bound by ANC loyalty to preserve the peace and not fireall the Zuma-ites like Bathabile Dlamini, Nomvula Mokonyane and MichaelMasutha.
He simplyhas to appoint the best the ANC has to offer to his new team. Be prepared tosee some new faces and names when Ramaphosa announces an executive for the nextfive years.
Much hasbeen said about the need for Ramaphosa to ensure the state capturers in hismidst are arrested and prosecuted. He cannot do that.
The best hecan do is to ensure that our law enforcement agencies, chiefly the police andthe National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), are led by the best, most competentand squeaky-clean individuals who will do their jobs without fear or favour.
He has donethis, and it is now over to advocates Shamila Batohi, head of the NPA, and GodfreyLebeya, head of the Hawks, to make sure that justice is not only done, but alsoseen to be done.
They have touse every single legal instrument available to them to extradite the Guptas andbring them back to face justice. They have to ensure that Zuma receives a fairand speedy trial on the outstanding arms deal and Schabir Shaik matters. Theyhave to charge Bosasa kingpin Gavin Watson with his former colleagues andaddress the perception that whistleblowers are being charged to protect the bigfish. They have to bring Markus Jooste and the Steinhoff mafia to court beforethey leave our shores. They have to speedily investigate a decade of statecapture in the Free State under Ace Magashule and bring him to book if heshould be prosecuted.
Ramaphosashould give them the space to do their jobs without fear and protect them frompolitical interference.
He has shownthe ability to address the fears of both investors and workers and will need toaggressively work with them to create sustainable jobs on a large scale.
He mustaddress racism and not only preach non-racialism, but actively set an examplethat embraces all South Africans.
Ramaphosahas shown the ability and will to reignite the dream of a country thatunashamedly faces its unfinished business, but do so with our eyes firmly seton a better life for all.
It is adream he dares not defer.
- Basson is editor-in-chief of News24.
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