IT may be just us, here at the Mahogany Ridge, but it does appear that the sparkle and fizz, the joie de vivre, that characterised the run-up to Mangaung in 2012 and Polokwane in 2007 is wholly absent from the ruling party’s elective conference this time round.

True, it is still early days, and the court ruling in Bloemfontein on Wednesday declaring 29 Free State ANC branch meetings unlawful, irregular and unconstitutional, thus throwing the province’s elective procedures in dispute, is a sure sign that a lot can still happen between now and December 16 when delegates gather in Gauteng to ruin the festive season.

Make no mistake, the outcome of the tussle between Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa will be of consequence. On the one hand, the country may be condemned to a fate worse than death. On the other, it could be a fate even worse than a fate worse than death.

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