Open letter to Ramaphosa: Appreciate the mood of the people

'Now you know what your subjects have had to endure while you and your cadres have either participated in, or conveniently overlooked, outright corruption', writes Cliff Buchler.


To President Cyril Ramaphosa: Dear Mr President. You’ll probably be surprised, feel belittled and insulted when spotting this open missive directed at a personage of your stature. And that written by an old hack with no claim to fame, other than filling spaces with trite words. But then again, I’ve always been led to believe that those who govern in a democracy are the “servants of the people”, so I have the right to confront you with my need? And what better time to catch you at your most vulnerable: the aftermath of an election over which you and your…

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To President Cyril Ramaphosa:

Dear Mr President. You’ll probably be surprised, feel belittled and insulted when spotting this open missive directed at a personage of your stature.

And that written by an old hack with no claim to fame, other than filling spaces with trite words.

But then again, I’ve always been led to believe that those who govern in a democracy are the “servants of the people”, so I have the right to confront you with my need?

And what better time to catch you at your most vulnerable: the aftermath of an election over which you and your party have come unstuck.

You’ve not only lost out to unknown independent whipper-snappers but are the cause of the biggest stay away in our history.

For the first time since coming into power, you must be experiencing what we as communities-at-large have had to endure, especially during the rotten Zuma reign.

Are you feeling dejected? Letdown? Disappointed? Disgusted? Hopeless?

Now you know what your subjects have had to endure while you and your cadres have either participated in, or conveniently overlooked, outright corruption.

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Service delivery for which ratepayers have been charged, has never been prioritised under your watch.

The stench of heaps of decaying rubbish, potholed roads, smashed pumps and pipes, unmaintained power substations were, and are still, the order of the day.

Your law-abiding citizenry has had to live through the antics of the Zumas and Magashules, who are still free and calling the shots.

In fact, no major arrests of felons despite heaps of evidence from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and investigative media.

Can you imagine our frustration at seeing crooks laughing all the way to the bank?

In your post-election speech, you call on all leaders to unite to get our country back on track.

What about starting with your own party leaders and showing us how it’s done? It’s an easy bet that you’re unable to do so, given the wide split in the ranks.

Mr President, for your sake, and ours, it is hoped that you now appreciate the mood of the people, and lead them out of it.

I beg you.

Sincere regards.

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