Cool heads and quick wins needed to calm jangling nerves in fragile times

The excitement of the past week — and the collective sigh of relief — should not disguise the fact that this is still an extremely delicate moment for the country, which calls for cool heads all round. It’s no time for gloating, finger-pointing or jockeying for positions. All sides need to rein in their respective malcontents.

It is that quintessential interregnum in which, in the words of that Marxist sage Antonio Gramsci, the old is dying and the new is struggling to be born. During such a vacuum all sorts of terrible things could happen. We have a sort of outline of the future; encapsulated in a piece of paper, the contents of which now seem in dispute. Maybe that's understandable, given it was scribbled in haste. Time was not on their side.

The wheels could still come off. Which is why it's important that those inside this fragile tent should tread with care: they should not only worry about their share of the prize, but should also seek to assure those still unconvinced that this is the correct route to take. The refuseniks — and a substantial portion of the population — should not get the impression that their noses are gleefully being rubbed in the dirt.

It must have been surreal for comrades watching President Cyril Ramaphosa being sworn into office this week, knowing it was DA votes that got him over the line. Their bete noire is grudgingly becoming an ally. How does Comrade John (Steenhuisen) sound? Does it glide easily on the tongue or does it stick in the craw? It won't be easy for people who believed they had a divine right to rule. The time for untrammelled power is over.

It was not always easy even in the past for Ramaphosa to put together a cabinet. He had to satisfy not only the competing interests of the various factions in his party, he also had to give something to the freeloaders in the tripartite alliance. Now the spoils have to be shared proportionally with other members of the new governing collective, leaving him with less morsel to mollify, especially, those in his party who are opposed to the deal. Also complicating matters is the ever-increasing number of smaller parties lining up to join the buffet.

We have the ridiculous situation of tiny parties such as the PAC and UDM who, only a week ago formed what they called the progressive caucus with the EFF to oppose the ANC’s “sell-out” deal with the DA, now wanting in on the act. In fact, the UDM’s Nqabayomzi Kwankwa theatrically nominated Julius Malema last week to stand against Ramaphosa for the presidency. Now they've joined the “sell-outs” in the GNU, their progressiveness — whatever that means — having lasted hardly a week. Shameless.

But what do such tiny entities bring to the table, except their stomachs? Of what good for instance is the Good party? Also, what has not been explained is whether every party joining the GNU is entitled to a position in government. The whole thing could look like a circus, unwieldy and difficult to manage.

The unfortunate consequence of this indecent haste for power will be the depletion of the opposition benches. The DA can't obviously mount two horses galloping in opposite directions. Which leaves us at the mercy of the MK Party, merchants of grievance and chaos, whose sole purpose seems to be an eager and pliable tool of the organ grinder in Nkandla. They're frankly of no use to the country.

The unfortunate consequence of this indecent haste for power will be the depletion of the opposition benches. The DA can't obviously mount two horses galloping in opposite directions

The baton could have been Malema’s to pick up, but he's of the same ilk, and, besides, he's a diminished figure now, the election having exposed the shallowness of his enterprise. And this week could not have provided a starker contrast: as Ramaphosa was being sworn in to office in Pretoria, Malema, his challenger for the position only a week ago, was in the dock in East London, and, in between haranguing the prosecutor, he was pleading his innocence for discharging a firearm in public. He claimed the weapon was fake. Maybe that’s true — fake like his entire political persona.

But the public brawl over what’s in the GNU document should cease, and the politicians should get on with the peoples' business. Any protracted fight or conflict among these would-be allies will only strengthen the hand of those who seek to undermine it. Ramaphosa is not known for moving with speed or for being decisive. But he will need quick wins not only to silence the critics and sceptics in his own party, but to calm jangling nerves in the country.

Public trust in government is crucial for stability — and everything else flows from that. It will of course all depend on the makeup of his cabinet. Are the appointments based on skill and competence, or are they merely to satisfy the interests of those represented at the table?

There is already speculation over which ministries the ANC will dole out to opposition parties (can they be part of the GNU and still be called opposition parties?), and which ones they'll grab for themselves. Interest seem to revolve mostly around significant portfolios such as finance, foreign affairs, home affairs, trade and industry, etc, where the different approaches and ideologies of the parties are likely to be magnified.

Whatever the outcome, two key departments that should be in opposition hands are justice and the police, especially if we want to get on top of corruption. We need all the crooks behind bars. ANC ministers will simply protect their comrades, some of whom are still holding senior positions in the party. Also, it's past time that Shamila Batohi is shown the door. She's been useless. This country won't find peace or cleanse its soul unless the stain of corruption is erased and all the crooks who wronged it so egregiously are brought to book.

All that people want is a clean and competent government, jobs and a safe environment to raise their families. That’s not too much to ask.