Twenty-five years ago our nation was divided and our country bankrupt.
Feel and sound familiar?
However, by 2004, we were calling ourselves a Rainbow Nation and financially were a going concern with a viable economy.
We all know what happened then.
Point though is through brave, visionary leadership and the appointment of committed, capable people between 1994 – 2004, we largely defied the naysayers. Not that it was perfect – but then I ask you, what is?
Now, post this election, we find ourselves in largely the same situation. The nation dividing as evidenced by the growth in the EFF and the FF+ and our economy on its knees. With one additional challenge. Under Madiba, the ANC was a broad, but unified church. Not so today. In its stead, we have a schizoid congregation singing off different hymn sheets. No surprise then that it’s support has been dwindling from the glory years of 2004 – 69% to 57%.
So now the job is quite simply to reunify the nation; rebuild the economy and stabilise the ruling party. And it needs to happen fast. Not in 10 years – more like five. No pressure then. Daunting to say the least.
How fortunate are we not then to have as our president no less a person than Madiba’s preferred successor? Twenty years too late maybe –  but better late than never.
So now Mr President you have the opportunity to show us just why Madiba preferred you at the relatively tender age of 47.
What was it that he, an astute reader of character, saw in you?
Was it the makings of a Statesman as opposed just a competent party comrade; a man of the people, a humanist with a common touch; a pragmatist as opposed to a naive idealist; a brave man; a person with a deep love for his country; a magnanimous, confident man, his own man; someone who could build on the foundation he had so selflessly laid.
Madiba the great Unifier of the Nation – Ramaphosa the great Builder of the Country. Two eternal, entwined legacies.
Is that maybe what he saw – or at least glimpses of it.
I would like to believe that to be the case and so, Mr President, would the majority of people in the country. For evidence of this fact look no further than the tens of thousands, from all spectrums of life, who voted for the ANC, not because they believed in the ANC, but because they believed in you. You, more than your party, were the peoples choice.

In fact, a startling conclusion from this election is that if the result at Nasrec is anything to go by, it seems the country needs and believes in you more than your party wants and believes in you.  In fact without you at the helm, one could reasonably speculate that the ANC would not have crossed the 50% threshold.
So we are already indebted to you for that Mr President, “anders so die herrie los gewees het”. Can’t you just see the Commander in Chief licking his lips at the prospect of all that loot!
(On the other hand, had you run alone you may have pulled off a Macron – but let’s leave that one for now).
So Mr President as was the case with Madiba, you are bigger than your party and this is key. Absolutely key to the question – will you, therefore, answer to the nation as it’s President in a magnanimous, statesmanlike manner or will you answer to the narrow dictates of your party – and if so, to which faction?
This is your Rubicon moment. Please recognise this and do what Caesar did – not PW. Cross it.
And in so doing be inspired by our own Caster Semenya’s words: “Knowing when to walk away is wisdom…being able to is courage”.
Do what Madiba did when he rejected the Left and their siren song of socialism, had tea with Betsy Verwoerd, donned the number 6 jersey, brought in the best people for the job – from across Party lines. Little wonder he was first and foremost regarded as the country’s President.
Basically, he reached for the Centre. There where the majority of the people are. All of whom basically want the same thing, as in a reasonable prospect of a reasonable life. Where people largely get on with one another in a civil, orderly, manner despite the noise on the fringes and where the media feeds. Where the common good resides and where goodwill abounds. The chirpy conversation amongst strangers in the voting queues further evidence of this.
Fact is that despite the best efforts of some there is still more that binds us than holds us apart.
But not surprisingly it is fraying. Witness the unprecedented plethora of parties that contested the election. What does that say, Mr President? Quite simply it says in the absence of visible, principled leadership the vacuum will be filled by opportunistic, snake-oil salesmen with their populist, intellectually bankrupt, simplistic “solutions”.
Remember Mr President, to quote Barack Obama: “If the people cannot trust the government to do the job for which it exists – to protect them and promote their common welfare – all else is lost.”
We are not there yet, but the apathy of the youth, the plethora of parties, the rise of the Left and the Right, the sense of compromise when voting, are certainly symptoms of a deeper malaise which can only be addressed by a president wholly committed to the country. Not a president compromised by factional party loyalty. Your election poster says: “Let’s grow South Africa Together”, but how can we do that on a compromised foundation?
But by reaching out and demonstrating confidence and belief in citizens beyond the parameters of your party you will find a vast reservoir of talent and a willingness to help. As much as you, we all want this country to succeed and we remain hopeful that it will. You must now fuel that hope by word and deed.
You must capitalise on the belief the majority of the people have in you by demonstrating that you are courageous and visionary enough to break the bonds of a schizoid party. To reach out across the so-called great divide, which methinks is way less daunting than the divide within your party. And so this with the Constitution front and centre. That is and always will be our bedrock. In effect, this should be your manifesto.
Do that and ironically not only will the country succeed, but your party too will flourish. As the Left withers so the Centre will bloom.
Do this too for the good of our democracy.
Right now we see our youth disillusioned with politics – its people, its policies, its practices. And given the events of the past decade or so it is not difficult to see why. Would you too not be disillusioned given the paucity of prospects and the absence of hope for a reasonable life. No wonder the EFF now has 44 seats.
This needs to be fixed Mr President – pronto. So while Madiba had to reconcile erstwhile enemies, you have to lead the way in helping restore the faith of the youth, lest they are led astray by empty, simplistic, promises. Then as Obama rightly said “all is lost” and we ultimately go the way of mob rule ala Maduro’s  Venezuela.
Instead, they need to see and feel the benefits of principled leadership – deeds not just words. Constructive partnerships with business creating opportunities. Vocational education as well as tertiary for starters. Corruption rooted out.
And as you ponder all this Mr President can I encourage you to also embrace the wisdom of others who have gone before you and who did not belong to your party. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe comes to mind. He who defined Africans as all those who live in Africa and are committed to it and the welfare of its people. Who said as Africans we must not be reliant on the West or the East for solutions to our problems. Rather that we should use our own talents to find African solutions to African problems. And that there is only one race – the human race.
In short, an inclusive, non-racist, humanistic, people-centred, African vision.
As Africans, we can and will solve our problems and help bring a better life for all.
We just need you to lead the way, Mr President. Cross that Rubicon so we can march. DM