Factional warfare, patronage battles and years of electoral decline have left the party on its last legs as it heads for a bruising outcome in South Africa's municipal elections in November.

They should have seen it coming, the sages will say. The ANC should have seen the signs of rapid decline during the launch of its 2016 local government election manifesto in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha.

The party could not fill the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, a feat that was previously easily achieved in the erstwhile stronghold. Party hacks ran around claiming that bus companies (presumably working with the ANC's opponents) had sabotaged the event by not turning up to pick up supporters in townships around the metro.

Nonetheless, the rally in the barely half-full stadium kicked off with musical performances. The MC and party leaders did their best to rouse the listless crowd to dance to popular tunes. Then the rally began in earnest, with messages of support being delivered by the ANC's alliance partners and sister parties from across the world.

That is when the crowd began streaming out. By the time then ANC president Jacob Zuma started speaking, the exodus was in full swing. Pleas from the podium to show the leader some respect by staying seated fell on deaf ears, or no ears at all.

Bored by the whole affair, thousands of ANC supporters chose to go...