But now that some say his bid is imminent and inevitable, the question arises: would a Motsepe presidency be transformative? In the past month Motsepe, whose interests include mining and financial services in addition to philanthropy, has been a near-constant feature on TV screens as he watched match after match at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco. The tournament, which was won by Senegal, is a pinnacle of success for Motsepe’s two-term presidency of the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
During his tenure he has cleaned up the image of the continental game, bolstered prize money and sought to modernise Africa’s game. The changes, including aligning Afcon’s calendar with that of international governing body Fifa, have been incremental but legacy-building. Motsepe’s commitment to the football job has been unwavering.
While he continues his entrepreneurial activities in SA, he is largely an absentee business owner. He is more at ease at soccer stadiums or beauty pageants at the side of Precious, his wife, or at an annual national prayer day event. His duties at Caf have ensured that his reputation is insulated from the dirty tricks that accompany the ANC, his controversy-prone political home.
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As well as retrenching his role in SA’s political economic affairs — such as participating in ANC and organised business activities — Motsepe has sought to enhance his stature as a global player, with football his preferred platform. In 1994 he stood as an ANC MP candidate before swiftly withdrawing to pursue a business career. He was following in his father’s footsteps.
Augustine Butana Chaane, known as ABC, was a teacher who branched out to enter business full time. Initially, that included transportation and then liquor and grocery stores. ABC also invested in his children’s education.
Patrice, a lawyer by training, is a beneficiary of this investment, and luck has always favoured him. Continental football has served another useful purpose to Motsepe’s political ambition: that is, it has been seen as a diversion. In their calculus, for example, contenders to succeed Cyril Ramaphosa as president — including Paul Mashatile and Fikile Mbalula — see Motsepe as a potential funder of their campaign, not a rival.
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