PETER BRUCE: Ramaphosa names his slate. What is he up to?

I am fascinated by Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision, at the weekend, to actually name his slate for the African National Congress (ANC) leadership elections in December. The congress elects what the party calls its “Top 6”, the small collective that runs the party, as well as a new national executive committee (NEC). Out of nowhere, Ramaphosa announced that the veteran minister (I can count home affairs and science & technology and education in her previous portfolios) Naledi Pandor, would be his candidate for deputy president of the party. Her dad, whom I met a few times in Gaborone in the bad old days, was a legendary ANC figure in exile, Joe Matthews. So she has a place at any ANC table. But deputy president? Surely not. What is Ramaphosa up to? Remember, he is basically up against President Jacob Zuma’s candidate, Zuma’s former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, for the leadership of the party. To beat her he has to do well in KwaZulu Natal and Mpumalanga. Pandor is nominally from KZN but ...