Ramaphosa is the man for the job

THE dramatic events over the past week, which saw Cyril Ramaphosa take over the presidency from Jacob Zuma, is just the tonic the country needed in these troubled times.

For many South Africans, the past few years have been among the most turbulent and depressing since the advent of democracy in 1994.

Our economy has been under severe strain; the national leadership has been largely inept and uninspiring; it is very clear people are becoming increasingly disillusioned about decisions in many spheres and losing trust in public institutions; investor confidence in the country has been dwindling by the day; and national pride which reached such peaks after the demise of apartheid has been plummeting.

To make matters worse, South Africa has been plagued by rampant corruption and inefficiencies where people with strong political connections are said to have virtually captured state organs and been allowed to influence decisions to a point where they have had the final say on appointments to the national cabinet and the boards of state-owned enterprises like Eskom, Transnet and SAA.

The rot had to stop or the country would descend into junk status in every sense of the term.

The writing was truly on the wall – renew or die.

It is for this reason that an atmosphere of hope and optimism has begun to sweep the country since the swearing-in of Cyril Ramaphosa as South Africa’s new president.

Reaction to his State of the Nation address on Friday was largely positive, with even some of the ANC’s staunchest critics on opposition benches praising some of his bold initiatives, which will hopefully contribute to turning the country around.

Ramaphosa’s advantage is that he’s an all-rounder – having been grounded in student politics before moving to trade unionism, and later making a name for himself as one of the country’s chief negotiators in the historic talks that brought an end to the apartheid era.

His successful foray into the world of business has also paid dividends, which will hold him in good stead in his efforts to revive the country’s ailing economy.

His “to do” list is growing by the day, but by fighting crime and corruption, streamlining his executive and appointing the right people for the right jobs – something his predecessor failed hopelessly to achieve – he would have made an encouraging start.

South Africans are desperate for a new beginning – and are pinning their hopes on Ramaphosa and his team delivering on their promises.