Carol Paton | Ramaphosa's fatal misstep: Cash cannot be king when you're president

President Cyril Ramaphosa has shattered our perceptions of who he is. The damage to his standing will be serious, especially in the global political community, says Carol Paton. 

Like God-fearing Hansie Cronje, who astounded the country by lying and cheating, President Cyril Ramaphosa has shattered our idea of who we thought he was.

In our minds he is no longer the ethical leader we thought him to be. His personal integrity so massively outweighed the moral standing of the ANC that there was an overwhelming sense among many South Africans and the global political community that he was different. Now he is starting to look much the same.