South Africa’s President Ramaphosa is finally growing a spine

By Carien du Plessis

Carien du Plessis is a journalist based in South Africa, author of Understanding South Africa, and Woman in the Wings: Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the Race for the Presidency

Many who support President Cyril Ramaphosa have been calling him spineless, but with a few months to go to the ANC’s elective conference, he finally appears to be asserting himself. From promoting his candidates, to the building up the police and intelligence departments, to cleaning up cabinet and starting to control the structures of the ruling ANC, Ramaphosa’s will is – finally – coming through.