Political firebrand Prince Mashele accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa of leading a corrupt ANC, mired in scandals like Phala Phala, as South Africa’s governance crumbles.
In a scathing interview South African political analyst Prince Mashele unleashed a blistering attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa, predicting that the leader “will die in jail” for alleged crimes tied to the African National Congress’s (ANC) systemic corruption. Mashele’s explosive claims, rooted in the ANC’s decades-long descent into what he calls the “African National Criminals,” paint a damning picture of a nation teetering on collapse under Ramaphosa’s watch, with scandals like Phala Phala and cozy ties with alleged criminals like Minister Senzo Mchunu threatening to unravel his presidency. As South Africa grapples with failing infrastructure, rampant unemployment, and a government accused of looting public funds, Mashele’s warning resonates as a clarion call for accountability, raising questions about whether Ramaphosa’s legacy will end behind bars.
Mashele, a prominent political scientist and author of The Fall of the ANC, appeared on the SMWX podcast hosted by Sizwe Mpofu Walsh to dissect recent revelations by General Mkhwanazi, a senior official whose press briefing exposed ties between an ANC minister, identified as Mchunu, and hardcore criminals. Mashele insists these are not mere allegations but “data,” given Mkhwanazi’s access to intelligence as a crime-fighting official. “I was shocked that our country could be captured by hardcore criminals at the highest level,” Mashele said, yet unsurprised, given the ANC’s transformation into a “criminal and corrupt party.” He argues that Ramaphosa, as the “criminal in chief,” is fully aware of this capture, receiving daily intelligence briefings as “client number one” of South Africa’s security services.
The Phala Phala scandal, where large sums of U.S. dollars were found hidden in Ramaphosa’s private property in 2022, serves as Mashele’s Exhibit A. “Phala Phala was an open act of criminality,” he declared, noting that ordinary citizens would be imprisoned for possessing such unexplained wealth. “If you were found with the kind of money that was found in Cyril Ramaphosa’s sofa, your relatives would be visiting you in prison.” Mashele alleges that Ramaphosa’s protection by police and political allies shielded him from accountability, a pattern repeated in his handling of Mchunu. The minister, a key figure in Ramaphosa’s 2017 ANC leadership campaign (CR17), is accused of funneling “dirty money” from sources like Bosasa, a company implicated in state capture. “Ramaphosa and Mchunu are partners in crime,” Mashele said, claiming their shared history prevents decisive action against Mchunu, who was placed on a cushioned “leave of absence” rather than fired.Mashele’s critique extends beyond individuals to the ANC’s systemic failures, which he says have turned South Africa into a nation “governed by ANC thieves.” He points to the collapse of public infrastructure, potholed roads, failing hospitals, and water shortages in Johannesburg’s affluent Sandton, as evidence of the ANC’s incompetence. “Everything the ANC touches turns to dust,” he said, citing the Eastern Cape’s decay and the theft of funds from Nelson Mandela’s funeral as unforgivable betrayals. Mashele predicts that public outrage will decimate the ANC’s electoral support, projecting a drop to 18–20% by 2029, following its 2024 slide below 40%. “South Africans are fed up,” he said, warning that the country risks becoming a “Zimbabwe” if the ANC’s looting continues unchecked.
The analyst slams Ramaphosa’s response to Mkhwanazi’s revelations, a commission of inquiry, as a costly farce designed to deflect anger while protecting allies. “This is the most expensive way of insulting us,” Mashele said, noting that taxpayers will fund Mchunu’s salary, a new minister, and the commission itself. He argues that Ramaphosa, aware of the criminality through intelligence briefings, should have fired Mchunu immediately upon returning from a trip to Brazil, alongside suspending implicated official Shadrach Sibiya. Instead, both were granted “special leave,” a move Mashele mocks as an elite sabbatical. “Ramaphosa would never give his gardener a leave of absence while his house is dirty,” he quipped, highlighting the president’s disregard for public funds.
Mashele’s most provocative claim is his prediction of Ramaphosa’s imprisonment. Drawing parallels with former President Jacob Zuma, who faced jail after leaving office, Mashele argues that investigations into Phala Phala and other scandals will resurface. “When the next administration comes, Phala Phala will not die,” he said. “Ramaphosa, if he lives long, say he touches 80, he will die in jail.” He attributes this to the ANC’s kleptocratic culture, where leaders like Ramaphosa and Zuma enrich themselves while impoverishing black South Africans, unlike earlier leaders like Thabo Mbeki, whose administration’s corruption, Mashele claims, benefited the party rather than personal pockets.
The interview also critiques the ANC’s proposed national dialogue, which Mashele calls a “waste of money and time” designed to enrich cronies through tenders for catering and venues. “Criminals can’t convene a moral dialogue,” he said, urging South Africans to march against it. He argues that existing democratic structures, parliament and cabinet, should suffice, and funds would be better spent on crime intelligence, the judiciary, or social grants for the poor. “The poor must rise against these fat cats in Pretoria,” he said, framing the dialogue as theft from struggling citizens.
Mashele’s analysis extends to the broader crisis in black politics, which he describes as “disintegrated.” He dismisses the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party as a Zuma family affair doomed to collapse and rejects consolidating smaller parties, advocating instead for a new, multiracial party led by educated elites. His surprising endorsement of Helen Zille for Johannesburg mayor, despite his reservations about the Democratic Alliance, shows his desperation to halt the ANC’s destruction of the city. “Johannesburg used to be the pride of Africa,” he lamented, contrasting it with Cape Town’s success under Zille.
The interview, recorded in Johannesburg, comes at a critical juncture as South Africa navigates a fragile Government of National Unity (GNU) marred by ANC-DA tensions. Mashele calls the GNU a “government of enemies” on autopilot, with Ramaphosa’s partisanship, such as firing a DA deputy minister without evidence, threatening its stability. His warnings, delivered with the urgency of a nation “burning,” resonate with South Africans frustrated by corruption and governance failures.
Why It Matters: Mashele’s allegations amplify public distrust in Ramaphosa and the ANC, potentially fueling civic unrest and electoral shifts. If his predictions hold, South Africa faces a reckoning, with Ramaphosa’s legacy, and freedom, at stake. As the ANC’s failures dominate headlines, Mashele’s call to resist “ANC thieves” could galvanize a new generation to demand change, lest the nation slide into the abyss he compares to Zimbabwe. For now, his voice, amplified by platforms like SMWX, remains a defiant challenge to a government accused of betraying its people.
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