Ramaphosa’s tough balancing act in an era of coalitions

President Cyril Ramaphosa at the swearing-in ceremony for ministers in the Government of National Unity Cabinet. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the opening of Parliament will take place on July 18, 2024, has confirmed that the Government of National Unity (GNU) discussions have been concluded and the real work will now begin after the mudslinging that has characterised the election campaign period, the writer says. – Picture: GCIS / July 3, 2024

By Bheki Mngomezulu

THE announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office that the opening of Parliament would take place on July 18, 2024, confirmed that the Government of National Unity (GNU) discussions have been concluded and the real work would now begin after the mudslinging that characterised the election campaign period.

The announcement was welcomed, with euphoria and ecstasy, for various reasons.

First, the date coincides with Nelson Mandela’s birthday which is also celebrated on July 18. Second, the date will be five months before the 10th anniversary of Mandela’s deathg, which was December 5, 2013.

The two historic dates mean that if the seventh administration is serious about keeping Mandela’s legacy alive and walking in his footsteps, it must do things differently by putting people first, not politicians’ personal and party interests. Mandela sacrificed a lot for the country.

It is incumbent upon the seventh administration to emulate him. The best thing it can do is set the agenda for the administration in a rational manner, not make empty promises.

Another factor which makes this opening of Parliament important is that it will be the first time the president will open Parliament as leader of the GNU.

The fact that putting the GNU together was characterised by differences of opinion, which resulted in the delay in appointing the Cabinet, means that Ramaphosa’s address will not be as casual as his previous ones were when the ANC was the governing party.

Third, the fact that Ramaphosa led the ANC to its lowest performance since the 1994 political dispensation, which saw the party obtaining a mere 40%, means that in his address, he would have to tone down bragging about its successes and the ANC’s performance in the May 29, 2024, general election.

Fourth, the fact that Parliament will be sitting at the time when the country’s unemployment rate is so high and when inequality and poverty continue to wreak havoc in the country means that Ramaphosa must be more practical and refrain from telling the nation about an ideal situation and an imaginary Tintswalo that is nothing like the reality on the ground.

Fifth, given South Africa’s footprints across Africa and the globe, Ramaphosa will have to convince his GNU partners and the entire nation that the decisions and policy decisions taken by the sixth administration were not thumb-sucked. Instead, they were cogently thought through, properly crafted and meticulously implemented.

In a nutshell, Ramaphosa’s speech should be predictable. Apart from the points enumerated above, he must:

• Thank all South Africans for their sacrifices in standing in the queues to exercise their constitutional right to cast their votes despite the many challenges they encountered. Directing his address to his fellow politicians, he must thank them for being tolerant of one another in the build-up to and on the day of the election.
• Thank the 11 political parties for agreeing to join the ANC to form the GNU so that the country could embark on the journey to better the lives of the people of South Africa.
• Thank the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) for conducting the election under immense pressure occasioned by court cases from both sides of the political divide, which meant that certainty about the election taking place could be confirmed only at the 11th hour. He must also applaud the IEC for handling the independent candidate who participated in the election for the first time and for dealing with the three ballots.
• Acknowledge the technical glitches and other concerns that left more than 25 political parties disgruntled. Similarly, he must comment about the IEC having decided to forge ahead with the announcement of the results on June 2 while there were Section 55 complaints that had not been attended to.
• Implore everyone in the legal fraternity to endeavour to interpret the law accurately, so that no one feels that there are instances when the Constitution is interpreted politically. This is critical for the consolidation of our democracy.
• Refrain from spending too much time recounting what the ANC has done in the past 30 years. South Africans witnessed the ANC’s successes and failures. One or two paragraphs would suffice to provide the necessary context.

The president’s speech must give the nation confidence about prospects for a better life. In this regard, his tone must be such that he has full confidence in the GNU, especially the ministers he appointed recently. He must set government’s agenda, not the ANC’s agenda as he has done in the past.

Importantly, Ramaphosa must not create the impression that each minister will do as they wish. He must stress the need for a collective responsibility and not make the same mistake he made in 2018 when he talked about “The New Dawn” and “Nine Wasted Years” when he was part of the collective.

Equally important will be for the president to assure the nation that having ministers from various political parties will not significantly change the country’s domestic and foreign policy agenda.

Everyone will be watching the speech with keen interest. Ramaphosa dare not disappoint.

* Prof Bheki Mnomezulu is the director of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy at the Nelson Mandela University.

** This article expresses the views of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the ideas of the IOL or Independent Media