A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS”-PART 1 A mixture of President Cyril Ramaphosa, former President Thabo Mbeki, and President Kgalema Motlanthe would embody a blend of strategic negotiation, intellectual depth, and principled leadership. Noticeable differences in their approach, effectiveness, and decline over time in service delivery. TOGETHER THEY REPRESENT A LEADER who is strategic, intellectually grounded, and principled, someone who values economic progress, African Renaissance ideals, and ethical governance. 1. RAMAPHOSA’s PRAGMATISM AND CONSES- BUILDING: A skilled negotiator and businessman, he balances political diplomacy with economic reform efforts. 2. MBEKI’s INTELLECTUALISM AND POLICY- DRIVEN LEADERSHIP: His Pan-Africanist vision and focus on economic and institutional transformation reflect deep analytical governance. 3. MOTLANTHE’s CALM AND PRINCIPLES STATESMANSHIP: Known for his integrity and quiet but firm leadership, he symbolizes transitional stability and moral authority. SERVICE DELIVERY COMPARISONS: 1. THABO MBEKI (1999–2008): Technocratic and Policy-Driven STRENGTHS:Economic growth under GEAR and ASGISA improved infrastructure investment, Expansion of housing, electricity, and water access, especially in urban areas, Massive public works projects (Gautrain, stadiums, roads) ahead of the 2010 World Cup, Education investment led to school expansion and improvements in basic literacy. WEAKNESSES:Health crisis: Mbeki’s HIV/AIDS denialism delayed ARV rollouts, causing preventable deaths, Service delivery protests started increasing due to rising inequality and municipal inefficiencies, Centralized decision-making often sidelined local governance issues. 2. KGALEMA MOTLANTHE (2008–2009): Transitional Stability STRENGTHS: Prioritized stability in government after Mbeki’s recall, Strengthened social policy continuity (ARV rollout accelerated), More responsive to concerns about corruption in service delivery, WEAKNESSES:Too short a term to implement any major reforms, Inherited weakened local governance structures that were increasingly inefficient. 3. CYRIL RAMAPHOSA(2018–present): Reform vs. Decline STRENGTHS:Infrastructure recovery efforts (e.g., investment in energy projects to address load-shedding), Digital transformation efforts in government services,Some improvements in corruption investigations (e.g., SIU probes into procurement fraud). WEAKNESSES: Service delivery collapse: water shortages, failing municipalities, and pothole-ridden roads, Load-shedding crisis worsened, affecting businesses and essential services,Rising crime and law enforcement failures weaken public trust,Public sector inefficiency (e.g., long queues at Home Affairs, poor healthcare system). OVERALL SUMMARY: 1. MBEKI: Strong economic growth improved services but failed in health (HIV/AIDS). 2. MOTLANTHE: Kept things stable but had no time for real impact. 3.RAMAPHOSA: Struggling with declining service delivery despite reform attempts.