As with Marikana, the CR17 bank statements and Phala Phala — the biggest scandal of his presidency — Cyril Ramaphosa yet again finds himself in a pickle.
This time, the president is in the eye of the storm around his relationship with disgraced tenderpreneur Hangwani Maumela, the alleged kingpin in the R2 billion looting of Tembisa Hospital.
That it has taken Ramaphosa forever to put this matter to rest since it was first raised by Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen in 2022 is concerning.
Taking so long to take the nation into his confidence and explain — without ambiguity — his relationship with Maumela, speaks to the trust deficit between the president and citizens.
So, even if Ramaphosa is telling the truth, the nation is not sure if it should believe him or not.
We are talking here about a man who has still not told us exactly how millions of dollars ended up in the couches on his farm — yet the buffalo he claimed to have sold are still in his possession.
It boggles the mind.
Ramaphosa must clear up the confusion around Maumela because the tenderpreneur might well have used his proximity to the president — imagined or real — in amassing his ill-gotten wealth.
But we are getting somewhere. Ramaphosa told the National Assembly this week that the two have met — twice.
During the first encounter, in 2023, he had registered his displeasure with Maumela for bringing his name into disrepute.
Ramaphosa further confirmed, after years of speculation, that Maumela is the nephew of Hope Mudawu, who he divorced 43 years ago. Ramaphosa also revealed he went to school with Maumela’s mother, Mboneni Maumela.
The president claims that, during a walk in his neighbourhood last year, Maumela approached and told him his mother was around and that he should greet her.
Ramaphosa claims that he had a picture taken with her at the gate of the now infamous mansion.
To prove this was just an innocent photo opportunity, the president claims he had a similar picture taken with another resident and her children.
But his version of how he met Maumela is mired in suspicion even after his explanation this week. He has failed to put the matter to rest, with opposition parties, such as uMkhonto weSizwe and the African Transformation Movement, calling for a probe into the matter.
This is a clear indication of the trust deficit between the president and the citizens.
The onus is on Ramaphosa to rebuild this trust. Now.
So, walk with us, Mr President.
The president is in yet another pickle over his inability to be upfront
