Shocking bolt from the blue

Shock reactions define Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC presidency. Habitually shocked by brushes with reality, he must be astounded by opinion polls which show his party's popularity is plunging irretrievably.

- Martin Williams

The somnambulist didn't see that coming. Ramaphosa has been shocked by many things, including the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.

He was also "surprised" that hundreds of thousands of dollars were hidden in furniture at his Phala Phala ranch.

He expressed shock at disclosures of mismanagement and corruption at Eskom, Transnet and South African Airways, although his party was in power during their decline.

During the July 2021 unrest, he was shocked by intelligence failure to predict coordinated riots and shocked by the criminality and destruction.

He has expressed shock over high-profile gender-based violence cases.

He was shocked when emergency Covid funds were looted during the national state of disaster. Ramaphosa expressed outrage at this "theft from the people".