South Africa: How a Deal With Provincial Strongmen Is Haunting Ruling Party

opinion

Last year South Africa's governing African National Congress (ANC) elected a new leadership which was the result of a hard boiled deal between the party's factions. South Africans can now see how the deal which produced a new governing party leadership last year is meant to work. It may keep the ANC together and is unlikely to worry people in the major cities much. But it could make an already serious inequality problem worse.

The nature of the deal is revealed by events in North West province where Supra Mahumapelo, an unpopular provincial premier, seems set on remaining in power despite voter rejection and demonstrations calling for his head. He has so far been able to do this because he controls the provincial ANC structures.

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