Africa’s Ombudsman model

Projecting his customary charm, confidence and trademark nonchalance, the erudite president with a king-size ego has assiduously refused to entertain questions from the media about what happened on his farm.

On June 9, 2022, in what was seen by many sceptics as an instinctive survival move, Ramaphosa suspended the Public Protector, Busisiwe Mkhwebane, just four months short of completing her sixth year in office. According to South Africa’s constitution, public protectors’ tour of duty is capped at 7 years. Mkwhebane has hit back, accusing Ramaphosa of conflict of interest, and in essence, linking her suspension to the fact that she had initiated the process of investigating the president. Mkwhebane, who can best be described as anything other than emollient, is demanding reversal of her suspension and has intimated that this is as good as any time for the president to pay the piper. It is not hard to discern why Ramaphosa’s quotient of political goodwill would not allow him to settle for the disgrace of being a one-term president.