Many people forget that President Jacob Zuma and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa are South Africa’s most accomplished negotiators.
They are so skilled at high-stakes negotiations and mediation that we exported their talents to conflict zones in other parts of the world.
So when the two went head to head, as they did over the past week, it was to be expected that they would stare each other down.
After all, they are negotiating over the presidency – which they are both personally and politically vested in.
Negotiations can go on in perpetuity. Ramaphosa, it would seem, decided he has had enough.
After a week of trying to coax Zuma to step down and negotiate an exit package, Ramaphosa intimated on Sunday that a special NEC meeting on Monday would be the cut-off point for the transition process to conclude.
Read Ranjeni Munusamy's full column on Times Select
Analysis
Today is Zuma and Ramaphosa’s last dance
Image: ESA ALEXANDER/SUNDAY TIMES
Many people forget that President Jacob Zuma and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa are South Africa’s most accomplished negotiators.
They are so skilled at high-stakes negotiations and mediation that we exported their talents to conflict zones in other parts of the world.
So when the two went head to head, as they did over the past week, it was to be expected that they would stare each other down.
After all, they are negotiating over the presidency – which they are both personally and politically vested in.
Negotiations can go on in perpetuity. Ramaphosa, it would seem, decided he has had enough.
After a week of trying to coax Zuma to step down and negotiate an exit package, Ramaphosa intimated on Sunday that a special NEC meeting on Monday would be the cut-off point for the transition process to conclude.
Read Ranjeni Munusamy's full column on Times Select
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