CAIPHUS KGOSANA | Ramaphosa, it’s time you became a spoilsport for the sake of the country

Fellow South Africans.

Me and my party have let you down badly. The administration we put together, which I lead, has utterly failed to resolve our crises. We admit we are incapable of solving our country’s problems alone, and we need help from all corners, from those with the knowledge and the expertise we don’t have, regardless of who they are or their ideological leanings and even race.

This is how President Cyril Ramaphosa should open his state of the nation address on Thursday evening. But don’t hold your breath, I’ve got more chance of being struck down by lightning and winning the lotto at the same time. He’ll repeat the same rehashed and washed-out speech and promise to move faster at economic reforms when we all know the depressing truth.

You see, the problem is not just an inept cabinet. Cabinet appointments are by nature political. Leaders use them to exercise political power by deploying those within their party who are not only loyal, but whom they believe are best suited to help them exercise their mandate. That is why the DA exclusively chooses among its own members when it puts together the cabinet of the Western Cape.

When the president does eventually reshuffle, he’ll have little choice but to pick from the limited pool of talent his party sends to the National Assembly. Sure, he can use his prerogative and insert two people from outside ANC parliamentary lists, but what impact will they have when 90% of cabinet is selected from the unappetising smorgasbord that is the ANC caucus?

Also, why does this president keep delaying every critical decision he needs to take? He came back from Nasrec with his transport minister elected secretary-general of the party. He is chairing cabinet lekgotlas with ministers who want to see him gone; he is saddled with the deadest of wood but is still consulting when the constitution gives him the prerogative to decide. Imagine you are Lindiwe Sisulu, knowing these are your last days as tourism minister. I would also twiddle my thumbs and await my fate. 

Ramaphosa has an opportunity to refresh and sharpen not just his cabinet but the entire executive/administrative interface. For starters, he doesn’t need 35 deputy ministers. He must stop feeling obligated to reward loyalty. This is his second term; he has limited time to change course and leave a legacy of delivery instead of over-promise and inaction. Deputy ministers are just costly decorative ornaments — they have no executive power. They require blue lights and homes in Cape Town and Pretoria, full staff complements and other frills. They are an unnecessary burden on limited resources. If the party insists on keeping them, a leaner executive can do with less than 10 deputy ministers in key ministries only.

Ramaphosa is chairing cabinet lekgotlas with ministers who want to see him gone; he is saddled with the deadest of wood but is still consulting when the constitution gives him the prerogative to decide.

Instead, those who would have been in line for deputy minister posts should rather be deployed to chair portfolio committees in parliament which conduct oversight over colleagues in the executive. By holding their comrades to account in a robust manner, they will also learn what is wrong in line departments they are monitoring and can easily be promoted to cabinet if the incumbents fail.

There is no reason for Buti Manamela to spend another term as a deputy minister when he could have been extremely effective as chair of the higher education portfolio committee.

This is also a moment to move the decks around and streamline. Why is the department of small business a separate entity? Incorporate it back to trade and industry where it belongs. If the public enterprises department is abolished as is anticipated, there must be clear plans of action from line departments that will inherit strategic SOEs such as Transnet, Denel and Eskom on turning around these ailing companies.

Separate energy from mineral resources (I don’t care if he retains Gwede Mantashe). The minister responsible for energy should be told, these are your key performance assessment areas: fix Eskom and load new independent power generation projects onto the grid as soon as possible. Failure on this score within 12 months should get them sacked.

In fact, it is in these crucial line departments where external expertise can prove useful. Ministers must convince organisations such as Business Leadership SA, Business Unity SA and the different chambers of commerce to encourage experienced private sector executives to take up strategic roles as directors-general, deputy directors-general, CFOs and municipal engineers at the implementation coalface in the public service, even if it means they temporarily take pay cuts. A service to your country should be much more rewarding. Or we could create a temporary arrangement where the private sector company deploying an executive to a strategic government role augments part of their remuneration to make it attractive to serve.

Mr President, take unpopular decisions that are good for the country. This is your second term; you don’t have to watch your back any more. You’ve loaded the NEC and national working committee with your allies. Tell them the truth: it’s either we take this action now or we perish as a party of government.

On Thursday night Ramaphosa faces a nation worn down by power blackouts, a rising cost of living, high unemployment, a stagnant economy and rampant crime. He faces investors who are tired of excuses and looking at safer alternative destinations for their money.

To admit your government is failing and needs help is nothing to be ashamed of.