Ramaphosa’s backers are scrambling to stop Paul Mashatile from becoming president — and some say Patrice Motsepe may be their only hope, writes Zukile Majova in his Real Politics column.
- Ramaphosa’s allies have no strong presidential candidate to stop Paul Mashatile from taking over the ANC in 2027.
- Some in the party are now looking to Patrice Motsepe — a wealthy businessman with no scandals — to save the day.
A faction of the ANC that once backed Nelson Mandela’s dream of a united South Africa is again facing a leadership vacuum — and some are now pinning their hopes on billionaire Patrice Motsepe.
Since Cyril Ramaphosa took over in 2017, he has become the last line of defence against corruption in the ANC. His presidency followed nine disastrous years under Jacob Zuma, which saw the country’s coffers looted and public trust shattered.
Ramaphosa pushed back hard. He sent Zuma to jail, expelled former secretary-general Ace Magashule, and dismantled the Radical Economic Transformation faction that tried to keep state capture alive.
He even brought in the Democratic Alliance to form a government of national unity, an emergency move to rescue the country from the ANC’s own rot.
But Ramaphosa’s time is running out. He leaves office in 2027 and the front-runner to replace him is deputy president Paul Mashatile — a man surrounded by scandal.
Mashatile is not behind bars, but he has been linked to dodgy business dealings, misuse of public money and multiple cases of conflict of interest.
If Mashatile takes over, the government of national unity will likely collapse and the doors could reopen to another wave of large-scale looting.
The Ramaphosa faction, made up of moderates and centre-left supporters, has no clear successor.
ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe has said he won’t stand for the presidency. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is available but lacks credibility and is more likely to support Mashatile than challenge him.
Former health minister Zweli Mkhize has fallen out with Ramaphosa and is no longer a viable option. Some ANC branches are pushing for Mkhize to return, but he’s no longer a unifying figure in the party.
In desperation, the Ramaphosa camp has roped in ANC veteran Jeff Radebe to lead the party in KwaZulu-Natal, where Zuma’s uMkhonto Wesizwe party has made huge gains. But Radebe doesn’t have the public appeal to win over MK voters.
With the party in chaos and no credible candidate in sight, Ramaphosa’s backers are now looking outside politics — to the business world.
Former ANC-linked businessmen like Tokyo Sexwale and Mathews Phosa have been tried and tested, but they no longer carry weight. They failed to boost the party’s support in Gauteng during the 2024 election campaign, and their political influence is fading.
Now, attention has shifted to Patrice Motsepe — the mining tycoon and African Rainbow Minerals boss.
Motsepe, who is also President of the Confederation of African Football, is well respected on the continent and admired at home. He is scandal-free, seen as a smart leader and enjoys the backing of football fans across the country.
Although he has no experience in ANC leadership, Motsepe is family — he’s President Ramaphosa’s brother-in-law.
And that’s not all he has going for him.
Motsepe is a billionaire with deep pockets. Running for ANC president isn’t cheap — it could cost over R1-billion to mount a successful campaign.
From paying for travel and hotels for thousands of delegates, to hosting massive rallies with free T-shirts, food and transport — every vote comes at a price.
A single rally for over 100,000 people can cost up to R50-million.
In 2017, Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign raised nearly R400-million to help him scrape past Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Ten years later, the cost of winning could be double that. And Motsepe has the money.
More importantly, he may be the only person who can keep Ramaphosa’s vision alive and prevent the ANC from slipping back into darkness.
But even with money, he’ll need the full support of Ramaphosa’s faction, which currently controls about 55% of the party.
If they get behind him, Motsepe could enter the race as the outsider who saves the day — a businessman turned political Messiah.
Because the alternative — Mashatile in charge — may be too dangerous to imagine.
Pictured above: Patrice Motsepe
Source: X
