Ramaphosa is weakening, plus five highlights from 'Vrye Weekblad'

Things are not going Cyril Ramaphosa's way.

Three years ago, he was counting on it that his enemies in the old state capture faction of the ANC would quickly be discredited and its leaders thrown in jail.

He believed the public protector, who is waging an open war against him, would have been suspended by now.

The cleanup of the civil service, government institutions and SOEs should have shown visible results by now and the economy should have shown significant growth.

But the weakening of government during the Zuma years, the slyness of the RET faction and the Covid-19 pandemic made sure nothing went according to plan.

Ramaphosa and his inner circle realised in December 2017, when he narrowly won the party's presidency, that his precarious position would only be strengthened if Ace Magashule was neutralised.

Read more about this and more news and analysis in this week's issue of Vrye Weekblad.

Ramaphosa largely overestimated the popularity of his credo to purify and renew the ANC. As long as he spoke about it, party structures applauded him, but when it came down to business it quickly became clear that every single faction of the ANC was corrupt to the bone.

There is now great anxiety, also in the NEC, that the attack on the corrupt might cut too deep.

The NEC meets next week. Magashule is expected to retain his position in the top 6.

2020 was a bad year for most, but for the ANC it was a complete nightmare.

Must-read articles in this week's Vrye Weekblad

>> Browse the full November 27 edition

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