*We've Seen This Movie Before!*

By Anonymous ...

It's almost like déjà vu as we eagerly await Sunday, July 13, 2025, at 19:00. South Africans are once again expecting the familiar "Fellow South Africans" greeting from President Cyril Ramaphosa. Given the recent revelations by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, many are playing a waiting game, wondering what the President's next move will be.

Commentators on social media and mainstream media have expressed their expectations, but many have also voiced their disappointment and skepticism about the President's likely course of action. Some have said, "We've seen this movie before," and that nothing significant will come of it, except perhaps another announcement of a task team or judicial inquiry that will waste millions of taxpayer money with little chance of implementation.

One political analyst, Sanele Swana, lamented that South Africans should not expect miracles on Sunday, as the President is unlikely to take drastic action against one of his trusted allies, Minister Senzo Mchunu. Social media users have cited previous incidents that were "cleaned up" by the Public Protector, Adv. Gcaleka and believe this case will meet a similar fate.

The modus operandi appears to be the same. The Public Protector's office previously cleared the Phalaphala case, despite obvious wrongdoing, and has yet to act on the VBS matter involving the former Minister of Justice. The President was given an opportunity to live up to his promise to fight against state capture, made in 2017 when he ran for the ANC presidency under the CR17 campaign. However, he has done little to fulfill this promise.

Some may argue that the Public Protector has shown proactiveness in announcing her intention to investigate Minister Mchunu's allegations, but others see it as a ploy to bury the matter. There's a Sepedi idiom that says "phooko ke beke," meaning that instituting an investigation will temporarily divert attention from the issue, allowing it to fade away while we wait for the report.

In reality, South Africa is like a movie, and something big is coming next week, but we'll likely lose momentum on this matter. What's certain is that Adv. Gcaleka will find a scapegoat instead of holding her former boss accountable. Many have not forgotten that Adv. Gcaleka was once an advisor to Minister Mchunu in 2019.

The President is unlikely to sell out Minister Mchunu, who risked everything to support him in 2017. Instead, he might redeploy Minister Mchunu to another department and announce a pseudo-inquiry to whitewash the entire matter. The President may feel indebted to Minister Mchunu, who could potentially succeed him or play a significant role in the 2027 national conference.

South Africans should be prepared for disappointment. As the Sepedi saying goes, "Bare, a re metšeng mare, bohloko bo fete le pelo," which translates to "When you swallow a bitter pill, the pain passes through the heart."