Why Cyril Ramaphosa Isn’t Going Anywhere, Analysts Dismiss Resignation Rumours as Political Noise

Why Ramaphosa Is ‘Not About to Quit’, Despite the Weekend Whispers

Once again, South Africa woke up to resignation gossip. Social media and weekend newspapers buzzed with claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa was preparing to step down after next month’s G20 summit in Johannesburg . and that Gwede Mantashe was quietly being lined up as acting president while Paul Mashatile is allegedly sidelined.

Dramatic? Yes. Plausible? According to political analysts, not really.

The Rumour That Refuses to Die

South African politics loves a good “recall saga” it’s in our DNA. Since Thabo Mbeki’s dramatic exit in 2008 and Jacob Zuma’s forced resignation in 2018, the public has come to expect that at any moment, the president could be summoned for “consultations at Luthuli House” and never return.

So when whispers surfaced that Ramaphosa was ready to pack his bags after the G20 summit, allegedly because he recently praised DA-style governance and irritated some within the ANC, many South Africans simply shrugged and thought, “Here we go again.”

But analysts say this time, the noise doesn’t match the facts.

“No Crisis, No Scandal, No Exit”

Political analyst Dirk Kotzé made it simple: presidents don’t just resign because detractors are restless.

“For a president to resign, there must be a crisis so great that he cannot survive,” he said. “At the moment, there is no scandal involving Ramaphosa that would warrant him resigning.”

Legally, a president can only be removed through a motion of no confidence in Parliament, not via Luthuli House whispers or Twitter hashtags. And unlike Zuma’s era, Ramaphosa is not facing criminal charges, impeachment panic, or collapsing party unity. No one in the ANC even appears ready to replace him.

Ramaphosa’s Silent Shield: The Right-Wing Bloc and Big Business

Independent analyst Sandile Swana offered a more strategic view: Ramaphosa survives because the right wants him there.

Unlike previous presidents, Ramaphosa isn’t just held up by ANC factions. He has backing from the DA, FF Plus, IFP, Patriotic Alliance and most importantly, big business, which helped architect the Government of National Unity (GNU).

In other words: he’s not just the ANC’s president; he’s the compromise president of South Africa’s power centre.

Left-wing forces like the EFF and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) may shout loudly, but they have not built enough pressure to make his position untenable.

“Those who put him in office, big business, the DA, the conservatives, still want him there,” Swana said. “The left has not done enough to make Ramaphosa’s position untenable.”

Even PA leader Gayton McKenzie, no stranger to controversy, recently vowed to oppose any attempt to remove Ramaphosa.

So Is He Safe? For Now, Absolutely

Barring an unexpected scandal or parliamentary revolt, analysts agree: Ramaphosa will finish his term.

He may not be universally loved, even inside the ANC, but he’s the most acceptable option for both the markets and the moderates. And in South African politics, that often trumps popularity.

A Presidency Not of Passion, But of Stability

Cyril Ramaphosa may not electrify crowds like Zuma or disrupt politics like Julius Malema. But in a country burdened with load shedding, unemployment, and coalition chaos, his predictability has become his political armour.

So for now, the message from analysts is clear:
Relax, South Africa, Ramaphosa isn’t packing up Mahlamba Ndlopfu just yet.

{Source: The Citizen}

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