Cyril Ramaphosa, many pundits agree, said all the right things in his State of the Nation Address last week, and I suppose they’re right: when the Luminous Council of Supreme Eminences sends its Messenger down to the bunker to tell you whether you and the other hostages will be getting a new leather chewing-strap this year, anything positive sounds about right.

I’ll explain in a moment, but first, in the interests of balance, I should tell you that I believe Ramaphosa spoke honestly and from the heart at certain points in his speech...