DD Mabuza may be making his moves against Ramaphosa – analyst

President Cyril Ramaphosa must watch his back as his deputy, David Mabuza, mobilises the Zuma faction to preserve his political future which hangs in the balance, says a political analyst.

Xolani Dube said Mabuza was on a “scary mission” of political self-preservation and finding new friends in Ramaphosa’s “enemies within the ANC” because he feared being ousted by those he betrayed at Nasrec in 2017.

Dube is adamant that Mabuza, along with ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, had a hidden “scary agenda” that had nothing to do with progress or the upliftment of South Africa but power for themselves.

“Mabuza and Magashule have an agenda that is anti-progress, that is for their selfish and destructive ends and that has nothing to do with principle but pure factional battles camouflaged as issues.

“Mabuza is an opportunist, he wants to carry the throne and the head of Pravin with him. His is not an honest but a betrayal act,” Dube said.

ALSO READ: No schism between Mabuza and me over Eskom – Ramaphosa

Dube’s view was cautiously echoed by another analyst, Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast, who said there were many complexities at play around the matter.

He questioned if, by contradicting Ramaphosa on Eskom, Mabuza was perhaps not aligning himself with the anti-Ramaphosa faction within the ANC.

Breakfast, from the School of Security and African Studies at Stellenbosch University, said he was taken aback by Mabuza’s statement as he “did not see it coming”.

Earlier reports said the Zuma factional fightback strategists were mobilising to take over power, with Mabuza and Magashule at the centre of the plot meant to restore the Zuma faction into power.

The latest Mabuza and Ramaphosa spat was seen as a manifestation of simmering infighting.

Dube was reacting to the claim by Mabuza that Ramaphosa was misled to announce that there would be no load shedding until January 13.

While on a walkabout in Kimberley this week as part of mobilising for the ANC 108th anniversary, Mabuza told journalists in the light of the ongoing load shedding implemented by Eskom “they’ve misled the president…”

Mabuza said while they visited Eskom with Ramaphosa late last year that he insisted on maintenance at Eskom.

“Maintenance of these power stations is very important,” Mabuza said.

He lashed out at Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Eskom board for having misled the president.

But within hours of his statement, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, rebutted it, saying the president was not misled.

Dube said Mabuza’s attack on Gordhan was unwarranted because all ministers had failed in their functions, not only Gordhan. He said many government departments, municipalities and other state organs were malfunctioning because ministers had failed.

“This is not about Eskom, it’s about Mabuza trying to preserve his political life in the ANC by portraying himself as a messiah. He is trying to be a hangman for Pravin when people are saying we must sacrifice the Eskom board and executives and not an individual.

“This shows a paradigm shift in our politics, it’s about power play and Eskom is being used in ANC factional battles,” Dube said.

“Mabuza is trying to endear himself to everybody who feels that they use Pravin as a scapegoat; he is endearing himself to a faction that is not supporting Ramaphosa,” said Dube. “I suspect seeing that Mabuza’s chances of ascending the highest office are very slim, made him want to rock the boat.”

The analysts said Mabuza might be ousted at the next national conference due to his betrayal of the Zuma faction when he abandoned the faction’s presidential candidate, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in favour of Ramaphosa.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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