Although the deputy president is appointed by a president in SA in terms of the constitution, experts believe there are ways that the second in command could make his voice heard.
Chapter 5 and section 91 of the constitution stipulate that the president appoints the deputy president and ministers, assigns their powers and functions, and has the powers to dismiss them which is seen as rendering his deputy powerless to hold him to account as the head of cabinet.
Zozo Dyani-Mhango, a professor in the department of jurisprudence, faculty of law at the University of Pretoria, said a deputy president could use the fact that he is a member of the National Assembly to ask tough questions that hold his boss to account.
“One of the powers of the National Assembly is to hold the president and cabinet to account so in theory one can say while the deputy president serves at the pleasure of the president, in the National Assembly he can use those powers by asking serious questions,” Dyani-Mhango said.
She said although this has never happened, a deputy president who wants to hold a president to account could use the platform which the National Assembly provides to all MPs.
Prof William Gumede of the Wits School of Governance said even though a deputy president has no powers in terms of what the constitution provides, in the SA context being a deputy president also means you’re the strongest person politically in the country.
“As the deputy president you have more powers to even speak out than any other person, the only person with more power than you is the president, you could mobilise against the president and call for a special conference [in the party] to vote out the president.”
Gumede said in Ramaphosa's instance, while serving under former president Jacob Zuma, he had ample options to do something.
“Ramaphosa could have done many things, he could have resigned and said: 'I think there's too much corruption here I'm leaving,' that would have got him more support,” he said.
He said Ramaphosa was in stronger position as deputy president given that he had business support as he had already established himself in big business.
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