The ANC turns 100 in January; divided, corrupt, battle-bruised, rudderless..
In the afternoon of his first term as an ANC president, Zuma is consolidating his power in preparation for warding off challengers to his position. At the moment, he does not have noisemakers who can counter the vigorous campaigning of the ANCYL. But there is no doubt that he is tightening the screws, both in the party and the s tate, to ensure that he is master and commander come December 2012.
Zuma can feel the eyes of history on him. The ANC turns 100 in January. It will celebrate more divided, more corrupt, more battle-bruised, more rudderless, than it has ever in its history. History will judge the leader who brought it to this point. Zuma wants to ensure that he is not the man who sits at the head of the table as this ANC implodes. His tragedy is that he might win Mangaung but the minute he leaves the conference ANC leaders will be discussing who takes over from him in 2017.. He will be a lame duck president for five years, overseeing a party whose young bucks will be throttling each other for supremacy...
Also see: ANC in Crisis: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/08/anc-crisis-eve-centenary