The spy saga involving the stash of US dollars stolen from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm, the proceeds of an auction of expensive Ankole cattle, has forced us to take our eyes off the ball.
Instead of focusing his attention on growing the economy, and fighting corruption like he promised, the president is busy looking over his shoulder, and warding off the daggers from his comrades.
Frankly, it’s tiring and we deserve better from our so-called leadership.
Opposition parties are also having a field day baying for the blood of the president for allegedly stashing dollars and not reporting a crime.
Because the Marikana and Bosasa mud did not stick to him, the Phala Phala heist has become a convenient stick to beat him with.
Former spy Arthur Fraser surely knew what he was unleashing when he made the criminal complaint against Ramaphosa. We know that it was not his conscience that guided him to report a two-year-old alleged crime. Now the nation is on tenterhooks, waiting to see whether Ramaphosa will fall on his sword.
I could not be bothered either way, and refuse to be drawn into the ANC leadership contest. Ramaphosa has shown a lack of decisiveness and this has now come back to bite him. Chief justice Raymond Zondo said this week the president chose to sit on his hands when the state capture project was in full swing. He did so to bide his time and preserve his ambition to ascend to the most powerful position in the country.
When his millions were stolen from under his mattress, the president did not go to the police, like most victims of a robbery would.The commander-in-chief shrugged off the theft and allegedly paid off witnesses to keep schtum.
It must be nice to be a billionaire. Most people would raise hell if they were robbed of their R350 Covid-19 grant.
So, here we are discussing whether Ankole cattle are really worth their exorbitant price. I know very little about cows except when I receive my portion of beef at a funeral. However, since Ramaphosa bid R20-million for a buffalo many years ago, I know there is more to these auctions than a juicy rump steak. I also know that at auctions people can pay ridiculous amounts for items ordinary people cannot even comprehend, such as artworks or vintage cars.
The Desperate Alliance has asked the FBI to investigate Ramaphosa for dealing in dollars, while Carl Niehaus has asked citizens to arrest the president on sight.
I’d rather read Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
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