THICK END OF THE WEDGE
PETER BRUCE: Cyril Ramaphosa’s best bet is an early election
An election would galvanise a degree of unity in a divided party, and Ramaphosa badly needs a mandate he can call his own
I am readying myself for an early election. It’s always good to be prepared anyway, but the way our politics are aligning tells me that if President Cyril Ramaphosa waits until the middle of 2019 he may struggle. Mainly it’s about the land question. Without fundamental land reform, South Africans will forever live on the edge of their seats. The question is, of course, how. Can Ramaphosa go to the nation with the current parliamentary committee looking at changes to the Constitution already done, or would he be better off campaigning with the question still open? I think the answer is clearly the latter. If, as seems likely, the ANC majority on the committee decides on anything less than the wholesale expropriation, without compensation, of farms and homes, he faces not only the wrath of the EFF but anger within a section of his own party as well. It has to be fudged somehow because wholesale expropriation, or even just the adoption of powers allowing the state to take land it think...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.