ANC's 'do what we say' democracy

Given that the ANC is – and has been for most of its history – riven by factionalism, it's not surprising that the party's hierarchy appear to want to get more control over possible wayward cadres, especially at internal election time.

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A discussion document prepared for the mid-term national general council in December suggests the party should revert to its old methodology of selecting its leaders – via "consensus", rather than by votes.

Under that system, the people nominated for higher office would be carefully chosen and the unsuitable winnowed out before their names were submitted to the elite. Those top people would then, between themselves, agree on who should go and who should stay.