African National Congress (ANC) Stalwart and former party Treasurer-General Mathew Phosa in a scathing rebuke of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s conduct in his autobiography; Witness to power: A Political Memoir, Phosa challenged the President to come clean and reveal where he was looking when his ally and then minister of police, Senzo Mchunu, felt threatened by the investigations by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and disbanded the team. Phosa said that while he would like to avoid pre-empting the outcome to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, into Criminality Political Interference and corruption in the Criminal Justice System, it was clear that senior politicians collaborate with criminals, and this continues with out consequence while the President remains silent.
This is Phosa’s assessment.
The PKTT case might be the tip of the iceberg, as there was a widespread corrupt relationship between politicians and thugs, as shown by Mchunu’s actions. He said what emerged from the Madlanga commission about Mchunu, who stopped an investigation into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, is a typical example of how politicians collude with thugs to commit crime or stop the prosecution of the thugs. He said the minister was protecting the murderers behind these killings, which is collusion with criminals. “But where was the president looking when this happened? The buck stops with him. He can’t say I didn’t know, where was he looking, he should know? South Africa is avoiding that question – where was the president looking?
“The buck stops with the president, not with his minions. We must hold the government properly accountable,” Phosa said.
As both the leader of the ANC and South Africa’s head of state, Ramaphosa should have prevented the abuse of political power by the minister of Police. The fact that the president did not intervene in prevention of the police failing to arrest the thugs responsible for political murders shows that his moral authority has been jeopardized. It is very dangerous in a democracy when those who wield authority and power abuse it to shield murderers from the law. Ramaphosa must either step down as the president or come forward and explain his actions. This is a time for transparency and accountability. The president has already dismissed Mchunu but there is still more that needs immediate attention. Obstruction of justice cannot be acceptable.
This war of words that erupted over what should be the president dismissing Mchunu is embarrassing. Meanwhile with the next Group of 20 summit approaching there is still more that needs to be done.
Johannesburg is set to host the main G20 Leaders’ Summit 2025 on November 22 and 23, marking the first time the gathering will be held on African soil. South Africa holds the G20 presidency from December 1 2024 to November 30 2025, and the summit will be the 20th meeting of the Group of 20 heads of state and government. The summit’s theme, “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” highlights its focus on inclusive economic growth, food security and sustainable development, with particular attention to Africa’s priorities. Officials from the Presidency have said the country is ready to host leaders from around the world. Despite the significance of the summit, many South Africans remain unsure what the G20 is or why the gathering matters. Experts said the summit is more than a meeting of global leaders.
With only weeks to go, the world will be watching when Johannesburg welcomes leaders from the world’s largest economies. South Africans are being encouraged to understand what the summit means for the country and the continent.
The G20 Summit is a gathering of the leaders of major economies from east, west and south. It is a series of meetings at the heart of which are debates and discussions on climate change, international conflicts such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, world poverty, and hunger etc. It is the largest gathering of world economies outside the United Nations. The nations who are members comprise the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Russia, India, China, Brazil, Argentina, Turkiyë, Mexico, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Indonesia. The African Union and European Union regional blocs also have seats at the table. The regional blocs are represented by the respective heads of their commissions. South Africa carries key representation as southern Africa’s largest economy and a leader of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
President Ramaphosa wants South Africa to be a leading power on the world Stage, but he needs to clean up the backyard that is both the ANC and his own administration. How he does this will determine his legacy to future generations. The President however also has to have an appropriate successor to succeed him at the next ANC conference.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
