President Cyril Ramaphosa has been very busy playing host to the G20 meeting as South Africa takes over its presidency. The world is in a state of flux as new global alliances look set to form, given the now capricious nature of US leadership. South Africa has been caught in the thick of it, with the Agoa trade agreement up for negotiation.
There is a desperate need for an alternative narrative about our country, which is truthful and eschews the lies of Elon Musk and AfriForum. However, in many ways it feels as if we are up the creek without a paddle. Having neglected diplomacy in Washington, DC, for many years, bleeding our trade desk there dry and sending people who are disinterested in “Beltway politics” to represent us, we are now paying the price.
Diplomatic positions have mostly lacked thought, with the ANC obsessed with protecting its interests and seeing them as a form of patronage. Recycling Ebrahim Rasool does not seem like the most shrewd response in this political climate.
The G20 provides an opportunity for South Africa to be part of a much broader conversation about inequality, sustainability, climate change and a host of other pressing issues and to cover some of its tracks. It is understandable and desirable that Ramaphosa takes the lead and is fully committed to building partnerships and strengthening bonds between countries.
Of course, he must also keep his gaze on his own country. As the G20 members rolled into Johannesburg, grass verges were being cut, traffic lights fixed and a general clean-up was being done after years of neglect and dysfunction. It was a sad indictment on the leadership of what was once labelled “a world-class African city”. It has had so many mayors, it’s hard to keep count. Clearly, a clean-up is only necessary for VIP visitors and not for the residents of Johannesburg. Best foot forward and all that. Except to truly deal with the degradation will require work and a commitment to proper governance.
The President commented on the state of Johannesburg as follows: “One or two of the G20 meetings that I attended here was not very pleasing. The environment that one observed was not a pleasing environment. I say this so that we can improve immensely.”
His comment came after the ANC announced the unserious Stella Ndabeni, herself a failed minister and who was found to be in breach of Covid lockdown rules, as the new chair of its local government intervention team. How completely tone deaf, the year before a local government election.
As Ramaphosa focused on the G20, he took his eye off various domestic balls he is meant to juggle.
For the first time in our democratic history, the Budget speech was postponed. Our Budget process has always been revered for its openness and also, after a long fight, the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Amendment Act was passed, which enhances Parliament’s power to amend the Budget as a whole and the budgets of specific national government entities. Before the Act, first passed in 2009, Parliament could only approve or reject the Budget, but not make alterations to it.
We are told the postponement was because of a spat within the Government of National Unity (GNU) regarding a VAT hike. The DA in particular is against this proposal and negotiations are ongoing, if media reports are anything to go by.
Ironically, South Africans barely batted an eyelid and seemed disconnected from this mess. This was possibly because the Budget postponement was overtaken by sudden load shedding at Stage 6 — another sign that State Capture had its price and we are all still paying for it.
On the Budget postponement, it is normal for coalition partners to disagree and have ideological differences. Budgets reflect political priorities and are always contentious. We should therefore not overreact, as some commentators have done. However, we should be disappointed.
We should never have reached the point of postponement. Where was the President to lead and ensure that the Budget was presented last week? Leadership of a coalition government matters, as does communication. This GNU is light on both. It causes uncertainty, confusion and instability, which, given the moment of global peril we are in, we cannot afford — 12 March is way off — a week is a long time in politics.
Hesitant leadership
Communication within the GNU has always been poor and the President’s leadership inconsistent and at times hesitant. The GNU started off on a bumpy note last year when Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni spoke about ministers implementing policy and making pronouncements.
“Whoever said, ‘This is the policy I’m going to implement’ — no. Whoever said, ‘This is the priority I’m going to implement’ — no…
“It should be stressed that both the President and individual ministers are duty-bound to take to the Cabinet issues of policy [and] significant decisions,” she said. “Failure to do so could undermine the validity of such a decision.”
While the constitutional notion of collective responsibility as outlined in section 92(1) of the Constitution is understandable, there were tea leaves to be read in that statement.
We all know what she meant: ministers who are not of the ANC should not tell the ANC what to do.
Last week was therefore a bitter lesson: that the President must lead and the ANC needs to fully grasp that coalition politics is hard and requires a willingness to listen and compromise. It also requires a fair quantity of political nous. The bitter lesson too is that it underscored the old saying “Elections have consequences.” The ANC lost an election last year and a modicum of humility would be appropriate.
If neither the ANC nor the DA want to suffer a diminished electoral fate at the next local government elections, further splintering our politics, the GNU must be coherent across all levels of government and must find a way to resolve issues maturely.
The awkward moment where Ntshavheni, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Treasury Director-General Duncan Pieterse were caught on a “live mic” exchange indicated how messy communications are.
Pieterse can be heard saying to Godongwana: “I’m glad you took the question about the commissioner. You answered it much better than I would have.”
Godongwana replied: “Oh no, I was a bit worried. He [apparently referring to SARS Commissioner, Edward Kieswetter] is making me angry, even here he comes up with this rubbish. I said, how would it help me on the 19th, even now on the 12th? He did not know that we’ve made provision for 3.5 in the new arrangement, but that 3.5 now is gone.”
Amateur hour indeed and it shows the deep rift between Godongwana and Kieswetter. That relationship is crucial and so the “live mic” moment was not only embarrassing but also worrying.
For the GNU to work properly it needs shrewd and consistent, focused and bold leadership from the President, together with his GNU partners, and also proper communication. This is pivotal for any government which wishes to lead with conviction and consideration for the people and the trust they have placed in elected representatives. DM