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You may wonder why – amid crippling blackouts and even more damaging ANC lists – the role of white votes for the ANC has popped up.
Speaking to a crowd in Ekurhuleni and in a subsequent interview with City Press, party secretary-general Ace Magashule went out of his way to dispel any thinking that white people would vote for the liberation movement in these elections. He dismissed sentiments from the Gauteng ANC that more people from minority race groups had shown interest in voting for the ANC in these elections.
The sentiment that attracted the ire of Magashule and others in the ANC was that minorities expressed this intention to consider the party because they were drawn by one Cyril Ramaphosa. This was like a red rag to a bull for those who despise Ramaphosa.
So the issue is not really about whites, as Magashule said, it is about black South Africans who will vote for the party in numbers and they are content with that.
The issue of whites was a red herring.
If there is an issue about whites and the ANC at all, it came to my attention through a letter written to City Press by a reader who complained that there were far fewer whites on the ANC lists to Parliament and legislatures across the country. He says there are only 16 whites on the lists compared with 27 on the 2014 lists under Jacob Zuma. The reader painstakingly highlights the names of 10 white ANC members who are serving but are not on this year’s lists. Among them are Jeremy Cronin (retiring), Rob Davies, Gert Oosthuizen, Nic Koornhof, Juli Kilian and Joan Fubbs, among others. But no ANC member or leader we know of has raised this, so we will let sleeping dogs lie.
The claims about Ramaphosa’s popularity with whites clearly rattled his critics inside the party, warranting the response: “You are not that popular, we last saw a popular leader in the time of Mandela and it is a myth that you will entice whites to vote for the ANC.”
Besides quibbling over a headline, this was the critical message that needed to be sent, although I still don’t understand why he had to do that in Katlehong of all places. It was yet another checkmate to tell Ramaphosa to “sit down”.
Unfortunately, on that December 19 in 2017 when Ramaphosa and his supporters decided not to contest the controversial election of Magashule over Senzo Mchunu, they set up the scenario in which Ramaphosa has to check his back constantly.
Ramaphosa’s aides thought then they were averting an ANC crisis, but they were only creating one.
Read: Ace Magashule: We don't need white votes
For the millions who believe that Ramaphosa is the man to lead the party and the country out of extensive corruption, incompetence and economic problems, they will have to contend with the fact that he does not take decisions alone. When you occasionally hear Ramaphosa mutter something incomprehensible, such as “there is nothing unusual about nationalisation of the Reserve Bank because it is done the world over”, be surprised no more.
When you hear Ramaphosa say: “South Africa is one of a handful of countries whose central bank is owned by private investors and the move to bring it under the control of its citizens will affirm the nation’s sovereignty”, remember that this is a leader seeking compromise as enemies gather around him.
When you see the ANC allow itself to submit to the Independent Electoral Commission a list of crooks and incompetents as candidate MPs, do not express shock and horror. That is Ramaphosa’s lot. He constantly has to win minor battles, but concede ground to his opponents to maintain a façade of unity and fairness. Many South Africans who hope for the best, believe that when it comes to picking the Cabinet, Ramaphosa will select only the best and cleanest of the lot.
But even then, I am afraid, they will be forced to defer their optimism to somewhere in the future because while some rotten elements will be dropped, there will be a few shockers. That is the heavy load of a checkmated president. I do not doubt his sincerity, but he will endure a frustrating five years as president.
He will be frustrated by some of his Cabinet appointments and he will be horribly constrained by ANC backbenchers who will seek to whip his ministers into line (their line).
And the signs are already there that he will spend a lot of time fending off inquisitions and rulings from the Public Protector. His lawyers will be pretty occupied in court taking Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s rulings on review.
And for each conviction for corruption that a rejuvenated National Prosecuting Authority will notch against wrongdoers of the last nine years, new sensational claims will emerge against the new “clean” team he will have assembled. Ramaphosa is a marked man and those who believe he will wave the magic wand had better make peace with that.
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