Cyril Ramaphosa
President, South Africa
Decisions from the two weeks to 13 October 2026
30 September 2026
Ordered crackdown and measures on gender-based violence
President ordered a crackdown on gender-based violence and announced measures, including urgent audits of unsafe areas, unsolved murders and forensic backlogs, after a series of killings. [1] [2] [3]
It targets real gender-based violence with audits and forensic backlogs, but Ramaphosa cited no evidence.
Instead: I would have done the same, because audits of unsafe areas, unsolved murders and forensic backlogs directly address gender-based violence.
12 October 2026
Targeted 2.5 million hectares for Black South African farmers
President set a target of 2.5 million hectares for Black South African farmers. The government handed a large volume of state land to black farmers. [1] [2]
Handing state land to Black farmers addresses redress, but Ramaphosa cited no evidence and the transfer is costly to reverse.
Instead: I would have first published audited data and legal safeguards before transferring 2.5 million hectares.
7 October 2026
Launched FuturePHARMA facility to advance local pharmaceutical manufacturing
President launched the CSIR FuturePHARMA facility to strengthen South Africa's health sovereignty and advance local pharmaceutical manufacturing. [1] [2] [3]
FuturePHARMA advances local pharmaceutical manufacturing and health sovereignty, but Ramaphosa cited no concrete evidence.
Instead: I would have done the same, because local vaccine and medicine capacity strengthens health sovereignty for a decade or more.
6 October 2026
Promoted campaign to plant 1 billion trees over five years
President promoted a campaign to plant 1 billion trees over five years to correct spatial inequalities. [1]
Planting 1 billion trees may address spatial inequalities, but five years is a disproportionate, hard-to-reverse campaign with no evidence.
Instead: I would have targeted scarce urban land and native species, with measured five-year milestones, not one billion trees.