President Cyril Ramaphosa finds himself embroiled in a challenging political landscape as factional battles within the ANC intensify. This week, Ramaphosa is set to attend a crucial ANC top seven meeting and a gathering of the national working committee. The backdrop for these meetings is an escalating rift between Ramaphosa’s deputy, Paul Mashatile, and the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula.
In a recent interview with City Press, Deputy President Paul Mashatile revealed his concerns about an alleged plot to remove him from office. He pointed to anonymous forces seeking to oust him, indicating that they aim to execute their plans by next month. Although Mashatile did not divulge further details, speculation centers around reports linking him to individuals who have conducted business worth billions with the state, such as Edwin Sodi and Ndavhe Mareda.
Adding to the intrigue, political strategist Bejani Chauke, a close associate of Ramaphosa, issued a statement refuting the authenticity of a manipulated WhatsApp chat attempting to disrupt the stability of the deputy president’s office through media interference.
Moreover, Mashatile has had to address an incident involving members of the VIP Protection Unit allegedly attacking three motorists in an unprovoked assault. Both Mashatile and the unit denied his presence during the incident, but questions surrounding his association with Sodi, who was linked to government contracts and a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, have raised concerns about his credibility.
The situation has raised parallels to former President Jacob Zuma’s claims of facing a plot from unnamed individuals during his tenure. While Mashatile was never a Zuma ally and openly opposed him while representing the ANC province of Gauteng, speculation lingers about the motives behind the alleged plot to remove him.
The question of who would succeed Mashatile, should such a plot materialize, remains unanswered, as there is currently no obvious frontrunner within the ANC or its leadership structures. The speculation has even led some to consider the possibility that Ramaphosa himself may be behind the move, given previous reports of Mashatile positioning himself for the presidency and engaging with investors to address South Africa’s challenges.
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