Johannesburg - Political analyst Lesiba Teffo says President Cyril Ramaphosa’s public image overseas has been negatively impacted by what the British media has described as the “farmgate scandal”.
This comes after a panel of independent legal experts found the president had a case to answer concerning millions of dollars stashed on his Limpopo farm before being stolen in 2020.
It has been widely reported that the money hidden under the mattresses and couches on his Phala Phala farm was estimated to be around $4 million (about R70 million). Reports over the weekend suggested there was more money than was originally reported.
Ramaphosa has been seen by the international community as the darling of the West and the man who would continue the Mandela vision for South Africa. But that image has been splattered with black spots.
“His image has taken a knock, and maybe they are saying we were overly trusting, thinking he would be a different African leader,” Teffo said.
He said South African politics was different from European politics, where the standards set for those holding public office are slightly higher. He said it had become the norm for African leaders to be known internationally as corrupt, an image that was far from Ramaphosa’s.
According to him, Ramaphosa had come into office with an anti-corruption manifesto and great plans to renew the ANC. He was a strong supporter of the step-aside rule that is dividing the ANC. At the same time, political parties such as the DA have said they would go into coalition with the ANC in the next elections only if Ramaphosa is the president of the ANC.
"I am disappointed in him. How can he put so much money on his property? There are rules. He is a lawyer, and he should have known better. When people ask those questions, they say: 'Well, he is an African – that’s how they behave'," Teffo said.
He said the international community had great interest in who became South Africa’s president because of the business interests in the country and its past relations with other nations. South Africa was also seen as the economic engine of the continent. Ramaphosa had been seen as the best man to bring investment into South Africa because of his business acumen and clean image. It is not clear how the farmgate scandal will affect this.
Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor told SABC news that she had received calls from some concerned diplomats, but said she had told them that South Africa had laws and a Constitution that works to protect the citizens of the country.
“I think diplomacy tends to be more careful about interfering or intervening when countries go through difficult processes,” Pandor said.
The Star