The Lady R is sinking … and the president has chosen to go down with it

By Howard Feldman

Relatively than having a unfavorable view of President Cyril Ramaphosa in relation to the now notorious Woman R vessel, I’d think about an alternate. Maybe that is the case of the president displaying management within the true sense of the phrase. The Woman R, it will appear, goes down, and it appears that he’s absolutely ready to go down together with it.

Which might be fairly spectacular. If it wasn’t.

The Woman R is the vessel which stays on the centre of the controversy round whether or not South Africa provided both arms or ammunition to Russia, whereas claiming that the nation had taken a “impartial” stance. Though this allegedly happened in December 2022, rumours bubbled beneath the floor till the US Ambassador to South Africa, Rueben Brigety, made this publicly recognized.

The influence was fast with Western allies expressing dismay, with the South African rand weakening to its lowest ranges and with the African Nationwide Congress hysterically and ineffectually making an attempt to make the dialog about protocols and never substance.

In an try and distract additional and to kick the proverbial can additional down the highway, the president shortly introduced that he was dusting off a retired choose and making this the topic of yet one more enquiry.

Why he couldn’t merely ask for the data from the South African Defence Power and a duplicate of the ship’s manifest, is extra telling than any enquiry by any choose, retired or in any other case. It reveals considerably greater than they want.

If that wasn’t dangerous sufficient, the workplace of the president adopted up the announcement concerning the enquiry by stating that the findings will stay underneath wraps. He’ll, apparently, be sharing the data with the ladies and youngsters on board.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, instructed News24 the phrases of reference for the inquiry wouldn’t be gazetted or revealed. “The investigation covers problems with nationwide safety and labeled data, which is protected against disclosure,” he stated. 

Magwenya added Ramaphosa had instituted an investigation by an impartial panel which is chaired by a retired choose. He careworn that it was not a fee of inquiry.

Phrases matter. And the truth that the spokesman says that it covers problems with “nationwide safety” is telling. The entire query across the Woman R is “if” there have been weapons loaded on board. If there weren’t, then there isn’t a nationwide safety issues. If there have been, nevertheless, now we have an issue as a result of which means the so referred to as neutrality of the ANC is nothing greater than a lie.

Which makes it all of the extra plain that that is the ship that he intends happening with.

The captain happening with the ship is a maritime custom {that a} sea captain holds final accountability for each their ship and everybody launched into it. In an emergency, the captain will both save these on board or die making an attempt.

Though typically related to the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912 and its captain, Edward Smith, the custom precedes Titanic by a number of years. In most situations, captains forgo their very own speedy departure of a ship in misery and focus as an alternative on saving different folks. It typically ends in both the dying or belated rescue of the captain because the final individual on board.

 It goes additional. Abandoning a ship in misery could even be thought-about against the law that may result in imprisonment. Recall Captain Francesco Schettino, who left his ship within the midst of the Costa Concordia catastrophe of 2012, was not solely broadly reviled for his actions, however acquired a 16-year sentence, together with one 12 months for abandoning his passengers.

The Democratic Alliance is difficult the secrecy of the findings. DA chief John Steenhuisen has accused Ramaphosa of being conscious “of incriminating data that he desires to cover from public view to guard his ANC authorities”, saying this defined his “sudden” announcement. 

The social gathering has since submitted a Promotion of Entry to Info Act request to realize entry to the panel’s phrases of reference.

It has additionally sought authorized recommendation on difficult the choice, stating the DA wouldn’t enable Ramaphosa to cover the reality.

The Woman R presents Ramaphosa’s greatest nightmare. Ordinarily contemplative and introspective, he prefers to take his time to contemplate all choices and outcomes. However with the USA thrusting this problem into the highlight, he has been compelled to make choices shortly and out of doors his consolation zone. In doing so, he has not solely blundered, however has accomplished important harm to his fame and model.

The Woman R is sinking. Sadly, as an alternative of saving the lives of South Africans on board, Ramaphosa has chosen to go down with the vessel: not as a result of he is a good captain, however as a result of he’s a poor one … and largely as a result of he and his social gathering willingly steered the nation instantly into the very harmful iceberg forward.