Having kept his hand secret for so long, he has played a major card.
First, Ramaphosa has shown he will be advised, but not be dictated to, by the Judicial Service Commission , which clearly overreached, politically at least, in the way it conducted the interviews of the candidates for chief justice and in its decision to recommend only one — judge Mandisa Maya. Indeed, the JSC’s endorsement of Maya was enthusiastic to the point of being undignified, which arguably ended up handicapping her chances of being appointed.
Third, the Zondo appointment amounts to a presidential affirmation of the findings of his eponymous commission. Ramaphosa knew very well he had a choice not to appoint Zondo. Many expected him not to. But the fact that he did so represents a very deliberate and significant shift of Ramaphosa’s political weight.
Ramaphosa shrewdly deflected any suggestion of gender bias by saying he would nominate Maya as deputy chief justice to replace Zondo. Of course, no president is bound to appoint a deputy to the top position, so Maya can’t be regarded as an heir apparent. In any case that decision could be many years, and numerous political battles, away.