Opinion | Don’t remake Cyril Ramaphosa’s image. He’s not exceptional, writes Mcebisi Ndletyana
At first, Ramaphosa insisted that he was not involved, and did not have knowledge of the identity of his donors. The leaked emails tell us the opposite – Ramaphosa not only had knowledge of who the donors were, but also wrote to some of them to ask for donations. It’s true, as his supporters have been claiming, that Ramaphosa could not have been involved in the day-to-day running of the campaign.
Zuma’s candidature was unprecedented in ANC contests since 1990. It was not endorsed by the rest of the national leadership, but stood largely in opposition to them. Mbeki, then president of the ANC, was a formidable rival, having been elected twice to that position. This meant Zuma had to build a new membership base, which required creating an organisational infrastructure that was somewhat independent of the ANC.
Denying that Ramaphosa engaged in what we know to be a customary practice in the ANC suggests an attempt to make him exceptional. This is partly driven by a strong feeling to distinguish Ramaphosa from his predecessor. In doing so, however, the president’s people are attempting to recast Ramaphosa’s image, presenting him to the public as if he’s a completely new personality, unconnected to anything that is possibly unsavoury. This is unrealistic.
My point is that there’s no reason to present Ramaphosa as the exceptional being that he is not. Doing so essentially sets him up for disappointment, as has now happened with the revelations that he was involved in fundraising. Perhaps his people were wary that admitting that Ramaphosa was involved would imply that he was captured. The worry was not unfounded.
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