Zuma, Malema and the provinces: factional conflict within the African National Congress

In 2012, the African National Congress (ANC) held its fifty-third national conference at Mangaung. After months of scandal, speculation was rife that president Zuma would be unseated by his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe. Yet the ANC leader triumphed at Mangaung, taking three-quarters of the vote. This article assesses the extent to which Zuma’s victory can be used to explore the changing character of ANC factionalism. Three developments are analysed. First, Zuma’s faction has evolved significantly since its victory over president Mbeki in 2007, losing support on the left but gaining ground within the Eastern Cape province. Second, Motlanthe’s candidacy demonstrated the extent to which ANC structures have been gripped by a ‘spirit of rebellion’. And, finally, fraud, skulduggery and violence, alongside increased recourse to the courts, raise serious questions about the credibility of the ANC’s candidate selection processes.