What Has Ramaphosa Accomplished In His First 3 Months In Office? Here Are 10 Things (So Far)

It's been three months of corruption-busting, cleaning up governance issues and VAT hikes.
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It's been three months since Cyril Ramaphosa was inaugurated as South Africa's president and his pledge for a "new dawn" is unfolding, albeit slowly in some cases.

Before he was sworn in on February 15, Ramaphosa's influence as ANC president started to show: a new board was announced at the embattled Eskom parastatal and his hidden hand was instrumental in forcing his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, into finalising the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture.

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Cyril Ramaphosa.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

In the months following his taking up the chair at the helm of the Union Buildings, Ramaphosa has focused his attention on cleaning up governance issues and driving an economic turnaround.

But there has also been some setbacks: former finance minister Malusi Gigaba announcing a one percentage point VAT hike during his annual budget speech, for example.

Here are 10 things Ramaphosa has accomplished in his first three months as president:

  1. Gupta fightback: On the day of his inauguration, the Hawks moved in to raid various properties belonging to the controversial Gupta family and their business associates. A warrant of arrest has also been issued for Ajay Gupta.
  2. Cabinet reshuffle: On February 26, Ramaphosa's Cabinet reshuffle saw the likes of Pravin Gordhan and Nhlanhla Nene returning to key ministries. Some members of Zuma's cabinet alleged to be involved in state capture and corruption were axed.
  3. Land expropriation without compensation: National Assembly passed an EFF-sponsored motion to begin a process to allow for land expropriation without compensation. The ANC previously voted against the motion, but after its national conference in December where a resolution was taken in its favour, the party voted alongside the EFF.
  4. NPA prosecutes Zuma: In March, NPA boss Shaun Abrahams announced his decision to prosecute Zuma on 783 counts of fraud, corruption, money-laundering and racketeering.
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Former South African president Jacob Zuma appears at the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban, South Africa April 6, 2018.
POOL New / Reuters
  • Moyane suspended: Days later, Ramaphosa moved to suspend South African Revenue Services boss Tom Moyane. He now faces disciplinary hearings.
  • State capture amendments: Ramaphosa made amendments to his predecessor's state capture inquiry, now allowing testimonies to be admissible in criminal proceedings.
  • YES initiative: Ramaphosa launched the Youth Employment Service which seeks to empower the youth through paid work experience and seed-funding. It is a collaborative effort between government, business, labour and civil society.
  • Focus on investment: In April, Ramaphosa shifted his attention to the economy and foreign investment. He announced a high-level team tasked to travel abroad and garner $100-billion in foreign investment. He also struck an R850-million investment deal with the U.K
  • Intelligence services cleanup: Ramaphosa shifted State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser, who was facing numerous allegations of mismanagement, to the department of correctional services.
  • The North-West project: Ramaphosa moved to place North-West under national administration after violent protests calling for premier Supra Mahumapelo's resignation brought the province to a standstill.
  • *Note: A previous version of this story has been corrected to reflect that Ramaphosa's investment drive seeks to acquire $100-billion.