President Cyril Ramaphosa seems to have wiped out his political opponents by what many deem is the use of state organs to fight political battles. Arrests seem to have dampened the energy of the “RET faction”, Ramaphosa’s biggest rival from even before his election as ANC president at Nasrec in 2017.

Many of Ramaphosa’s opponents have been arrested during his tenure as head of state, including ex-president Jacob Zuma, former ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, former spokesperson Carl Niehaus, former Durban mayor Zandile Gumede, former State Security minister Bongani Bongo, former public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane, former SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni (who chairs the Jacob Zuma Foundation) and former Eskom CEOs Matshela Koko and Brian Molefe.

Niehaus has told the Saturday Star that he was not afraid to speak out against Ramaphosa’s alleged first-hand involvement in their arrests.

“When I was arrested, I was arrested in public on national television. They put me through a very tough time when I had to travel almost every week to KZN to attend my case. I spent thousands in legal fees and when I was cleared no one wanted to touch me.

“The reason for my arrest was because of my support for Msholozi (Zuma’s clan name) and because I have continually called for Ramaphosa to step down. I maintain that he is a sellout and the worst president the ANC has ever had,” Niehaus said.

The question among many within and outside the ANC is who is next in the growing list of Ramaphosa’s detractors to face legal challenges.

Another victim of Ramaphosa’s alleged career limiting tactics is KZN businessman Toshan Panday, who this year was raided after R165 million worth of assets were seized from his family members. Panday is known to be a Zuma loyalist.

Panday told the Saturday Star that he too became a target of victimisation by state organs.

“Many people are being pursued on frivolous charges just to deal with some of us. It is really sad what is being done. We are being persecuted and the laws are being weaponised to deal with some of us,” he said.

In 2021, former State Security minister Bongani Bongo was cleared of corruption charges after he was accused of trying to derail a parliamentary inquiry into Eskom in 2017.