Who leads South Africa: Dlamini Zuma or Ramaphosa?
December 16 2017 By Abiodun Giwa
Outgoing President Jacob Zuma, former wife Dlamini Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa (Coirtesy: DailMaverick)
Who will replace the outgoing President Jacobs Zuma of South Africa? Will ANC voters favor Zuma's former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, or his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa?
Political observers are not about witnessing another trasitional drama like they recently did in Zimbabwe, when the vice president was hounded out of the country by the president, to favor his plan for his wife to step into his shoes, before fate intervened on behalf of the vice president.
However, there is a seeming similarity that recalls Zimbabwe's episode, because Dlamini-Zuma as outgoing President Zuma's former wife is highly favored by Zuma to succeed him, while Ramaphosa is also fighting for political survival against his boss' former wife.
Like the case in Zimbabwe, fate has already started a fight in favor of Ramaphosa, because Zuma's administration enveloping corruption allegations and loss of goodwill among South Africans, making his name a strong deficit for his former wife. But the Zumas are determined to succeed each other or have something to hold, if the president slips into Ramaphosa's hands.
The Zumas are fighting, but the heavens seems closed, as the National Executive of the ANC are reported to have rejected a proposal by outgoing Zuma to have the election for variou positions sepapately, to allow the loser in the president's election vie for the position of vice president. According to News24, the party's NEC prefers to have the elections at one shot, and whoever loses can go home and rest.
Expectation is that Ramaphosa will benefit from Zuma's image baggage, in spite of his role in the administration. Political observers see Zuma's former wife as highly favored by Zuma. They say the Zumas are believed to be maritally apart, but that they are still married politically. And that Zuma can be rest assured of protection from further inquiry into his past as president, if Dlamini emerges as president.
It is believed that President Zuma is working to show both contenders for his shoes that he has a good plan for his former wife and the vice president Ramaphosa with a plan that whoever loses the election can remain in power as vice president. With that plan, both president and the vice president would be seen as having been given a berth to remain relevant politically and that the out going president can be sure to benefit politically.
It is being said in the case of the outgoing president that nothing lasts forever, following his speech at a gala tracing his own emergnce as president of South Africa much against his plans. Another thing is what people are talking about that he may have done in office to build or damage his goodwill. Though he said he has nothing against people who have made negative statements about him.
The election result on Sunday will show the world, whether the ANC is against corruption and that it is has the back of the people of struggling South Africans or that the aprty's executives will the status quo. Ramaphosa has shown not belonging to the status quo, as he uses the image baggage against the Zumas.
The ball is believed to be in the ANC's court for a desirable change in South Africa. Obviously, the succession battle has cracked the wall between the Zumas and Ramaphosa. Many people believe that South Africa will gain immensely in economic term from Ramaphosa's leadership, while Dlamini zuma is appealing to the age old pulling up those left behind, a policy observers say Zuma has damged by his alleged sale of the country to the Guptas family.
Observers believe that Zuma's last minute announcement of free education to the poor as he goes out of office may not help Dlamini-Zuma, because analysts say the country has no money for such a program and they see the announcement as likely ineffecitve political carrot, according to reports.
Political observers are not about witnessing another trasitional drama like they recently did in Zimbabwe, when the vice president was hounded out of the country by the president, to favor his plan for his wife to step into his shoes, before fate intervened on behalf of the vice president.
However, there is a seeming similarity that recalls Zimbabwe's episode, because Dlamini-Zuma as outgoing President Zuma's former wife is highly favored by Zuma to succeed him, while Ramaphosa is also fighting for political survival against his boss' former wife.
Like the case in Zimbabwe, fate has already started a fight in favor of Ramaphosa, because Zuma's administration enveloping corruption allegations and loss of goodwill among South Africans, making his name a strong deficit for his former wife. But the Zumas are determined to succeed each other or have something to hold, if the president slips into Ramaphosa's hands.
The Zumas are fighting, but the heavens seems closed, as the National Executive of the ANC are reported to have rejected a proposal by outgoing Zuma to have the election for variou positions sepapately, to allow the loser in the president's election vie for the position of vice president. According to News24, the party's NEC prefers to have the elections at one shot, and whoever loses can go home and rest.
Expectation is that Ramaphosa will benefit from Zuma's image baggage, in spite of his role in the administration. Political observers see Zuma's former wife as highly favored by Zuma. They say the Zumas are believed to be maritally apart, but that they are still married politically. And that Zuma can be rest assured of protection from further inquiry into his past as president, if Dlamini emerges as president.
It is believed that President Zuma is working to show both contenders for his shoes that he has a good plan for his former wife and the vice president Ramaphosa with a plan that whoever loses the election can remain in power as vice president. With that plan, both president and the vice president would be seen as having been given a berth to remain relevant politically and that the out going president can be sure to benefit politically.
It is being said in the case of the outgoing president that nothing lasts forever, following his speech at a gala tracing his own emergnce as president of South Africa much against his plans. Another thing is what people are talking about that he may have done in office to build or damage his goodwill. Though he said he has nothing against people who have made negative statements about him.
The election result on Sunday will show the world, whether the ANC is against corruption and that it is has the back of the people of struggling South Africans or that the aprty's executives will the status quo. Ramaphosa has shown not belonging to the status quo, as he uses the image baggage against the Zumas.
The ball is believed to be in the ANC's court for a desirable change in South Africa. Obviously, the succession battle has cracked the wall between the Zumas and Ramaphosa. Many people believe that South Africa will gain immensely in economic term from Ramaphosa's leadership, while Dlamini zuma is appealing to the age old pulling up those left behind, a policy observers say Zuma has damged by his alleged sale of the country to the Guptas family.
Observers believe that Zuma's last minute announcement of free education to the poor as he goes out of office may not help Dlamini-Zuma, because analysts say the country has no money for such a program and they see the announcement as likely ineffecitve political carrot, according to reports.
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