Plan to get rid of Cyril Ramaphosa
There are calls within the ANC to oust Cyril Ramaphosa, disband the NEC, and replace the leadership with a national task team led by former president Thabo Mbeki.
Sunday World reported that this plan was contained in a letter circulated among senior ANC members in the Eastern Cape.
ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala described the situation as a covert and divisive attempt to remove Ramaphosa from office.
Zikalala told Sunday World that the ANC Veterans League rejects any attempts to destabilise the government and that Ramaphosa should finish his term.
“We, as the league, are behind the president, and, as far as we are concerned, he must finish his term,” he said.
There is also speculation that Ramaphosa was preparing to step down after South Africa hands over the G20 presidency to the United States next month.
Zikalala stated that the South African President had not expressed any such intention and that the rumours originated from unnamed sources.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s advisor and special envoy, Bejani Chauke, has also dismissed rumours that the president is planning to step down.
“This rumour is untrue and aims to cast aspersions on the successful build-up of the first-ever G20 Summit in Africa,” he said.
Chauke added that Ramaphosa’s international track record, undergirded by a national mandate to govern, is unquestionable.
“The President’s mission has been to lead the fight for clean government and to reverse corruption and malfeasance, inspiring hope and resolve across the nation,” he said.
“This has been seen in his commitment to see justice by elevating the importance of independent courts and judicial commissions of enquiry.”
He said Ramaphosa has consistently and resolutely expressed his commitment to national unity, fostering a sense of cohesion and solidarity among South Africans.
“The South African constitutional framework permits a president to serve a maximum of two terms,” he said.
“President Ramaphosa completed his first term and was re-elected by parliament, a democratic institution representing the people’s will, to serve a second term.”
Frans Cronje’s view on the issue
Renowned political and economic expert Dr Frans Cronje said their assumption remained that Ramaphosa would remain President until 2027.
“Our assumption is that President Cyril Ramaphosa will exit by the end of 2027 or the start of 2028 after the ANC has had its elective conference,” he said.
He added that despite media reports about Ramaphosa’s supposed plans to resign, there is nothing to suggest that this is the case.
“There is also nothing that we could learn to suggest that Ramaphosa is planning to resign,” Cronje said.
“I don’t think Ramaphosa is going to resign soon. I think he will stick around for another two years.”
Cronje added that if Ramaphosa were to resign, it would be a strange decision for the ANC to make, as it is unclear who would succeed him.
He explained that Ramaphosa is viewed favorably by around half of South Africa’s voters, which is relatively strong.
Even more telling is that 84% of ANC voters view the President favourably or very favourably, showing his popularity among the party’s voters.
None of Ramaphosa’s rivals and potential ANC Presidents come close to the ratings he is achieving.
“For Ramaphosa to achieve an 84% favorability rating among ANC voters is astonishing. It would be mad for them to let him go now,” Cronje said.
He added that if Ramaphosa resigns, it would have negative financial implications, create uncertainty, and harm the economy.
This will hurt the ANC at the 2026 municipal elections in South Africa, which the party would like to avoid.
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