Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says he considers his presidency to be the most arduous in the history of South Africa.
He said this while addressing journalists on the sidelines of a conference by the ruling ANC.
Ramaphosa attributed the lack of progress in achieving the “new dawn” he promised to the Covid-19 pandemic, state capture, and the ongoing economic downturn.
He said that he has encountered more difficulties than any previous democratic president in the country.
“The period that I became president has possibly become the most challenging period that any president in the democratic era has ever faced. No other president has faced the challenges that not only I faced, but the whole country faced.
“And the other day I was counting the various challenges – they came to about 14 – that have really been so huge as to impede our way…,” he said.
Ramaphosa highlighted the impact of state capture on the country’s institutions, which he said hindered their ability to function properly.
“State capture – none of my predecessors dealt with it. And State capture, in more ways than one, really broke down the capability of the state in a variety of ways to a point where various institutions of state could not function as they should have.
The challenges during the course of this administration have been enormous, but we are making progress. pic.twitter.com/nR3pShl9e1
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 9, 2023
“And when you are leading in a situation like that, you do not immediately have a silver bullet. You don’t immediately have a wand to wish all those things away. You have got to painstakingly work at all those challenges, to rebuild institutions that were captured and broken down,” said Ramaphosa.
He added: “Then you had Covid-19, and then you had the July unrest, you name them all. So I would say that in terms of getting to grips and dealing with issues, we are making progress to rebuild state capabilities.
The president also acknowledged the long-standing issue of unemployment and the need for immediate change, although he emphasised that addressing these challenges would take time.
Ramaphosa defended his approach of consulting and emphasised the importance of processes in ensuring that tasks are completed effectively.
He mentioned the success of his decision to establish an electricity ministry, which contributed to low levels of load shedding.
The president expressed concern about the rise of criminal syndicates in the construction industry, which has negatively impacted economic activity.
He called for urgent action by the government and law enforcement agencies to address this issue.
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Picture: Twitter/@MbalulaFikile
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
