It's out in the open despite what African National Congress secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe wants us to believe - there is a power struggle raging in the Western Cape ANC structures.
And yes, provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha and his faction, which includes Max Ozinsky and Garth Strachan, are fighting the party chairperson Ebrahim Rasool and his grouping - which includes Leonard Ramatlakane and Marius Fransman - for the top positions within the party.
All sorts of dirty tricks and mudslinging are being used, with allegations of party officials trying to influence the outcome of the conference by nominating which delegates must attend, not all branches being properly informed of the conference, an affidavit sent to the ANC head office alleging party officials had manipulated the amount of members attending branch meetings in order to secure a quorum, and party lists being secretly circulated. All conspired against the conference from taking place.
Sounds like Friday's news. The above is the introduction to an article in this newspaper on October 8, 2003, in the run-up to the provincial ANC list conference. Much has changed since then.
The ANC won the provincial administration elections with the help of the New National Party. Rasool and his faction won the list conference and he was chosen by President Thabo Mbeki to be the Western Cape's premier. Ramatlakane and Fransman were appointed community safety, and housing and local government MECs respectively.
Although the Skwatsha faction failed in its attempts, he was appointed transport and public works MEC in Rasool's executive council through the intervention of ANC leaders Motlanthe, Manne Dipico and Zola Skweyiya. Ozinsky and Strachan filled the back benches of the provincial legislature.
For the past year, political stability returned to provincial politics as they all worked together for the good of the people. The various MECs delivered on their 100-day service delivery targets set by the premier in spite of the tensions brewing within the party.
Rasool launched his "Home for All" campaign - a philosophical outreach programme to unite the different cultures, races, classes and religions in the province - to get its people to embrace one another's differences and break free from the shackles of racism.
At the same time, the administration faced very real challenges.
The battle for scarce resources exploded in their faces as homeless people and those living in informal settlements and backyards protested against the slow pace of housing delivery.
Taxi violence forced the closure of taxi ranks and cost the lives of at least five people. The Afrikaans debate raged as the administration challenged an Afrikaans-medium school to accept English-speaking pupils and provide them with lessons.
Most people, with the obvious exception of opposition political parties, believe the administration has been doing a relatively good job, but much has remained the same within the ANC since October 2003.
The intense rivalry between the Rasool and Skwatsha factions has again surfaced as ANC members prepare to elect the provincial executive committee of the party at a conference to be held in June.
In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of political jockeying played out in the media and secret plans being hatched to use the media as part of a strategy to attack party rivals.
As is the case with most political parties, this type of politicking is natural in the build-up to an important conference, with various factions lobbying and horse trading for the executive positions up for grabs.
There are a couple of things that are worrying this time around, though.
The democratic process within the ANC is being undermined as individuals use their offices and power within the organisation to deny branches representation at important meetings.
Veiled threats are being circulated to those who are thought to be wavering on faction lines.
The result is that what is supposed to be a very democratic process within the party, is turning into a battle that is not going to be decided by the ballot but by whichever faction can exert the most influence over delegates.
And the fight is not about deep political questions - as the party has very clear policies - but about who gets to choose who will hold the top five positions in the party for the next three years.
This becomes very important when viewed in light of the fact that the national ANC congress will be held in two years' time and the question of who will succeed President Thabo Mbeki will definitely be placed on the agenda.
So, whoever hangs on to the reigns of power now will be in a strong position to determine the direction and position the province will drive at the national congress.
It is this play for power that has again warranted the ANC's head office to send Motlanthe, Dipeco and Skweyiya to mend the growing rifts in its Western Cape party structures and to deal with those hatching divisive plans.
But, as is the nature of the beast, once the conference has come and gone, the protagonists will again work together and develop a joint strategy as the party prepares for the local government elections.
For that period, the infighting will be forgotten, but it is certain that when they gather to compile the list of people to stand as councillors, the fun and games will begin again - and who knows, maybe Motlanthe and company will be called down to mediate again.
Top 5 in the Rasool camp
Although it is unclear whether the Rasool camp actually has circulated a list of top-five candidates, it is believed that the following names will feature at the provincial conference:
- Ebrahim Rasool: The present provincial chairperson of the ANC and the premier of the Western Cape.
From 1994 to 1998 he was provincial treasurer for the ANC and member of the executive council of Western Cape Legislature. He remains chairperson of the ANC in the Western Cape.
On April 22, 2004, President Thabo Mbeki appointed Rasool to his current position.
- Marius Fransman: Former mayor of the Vredendal municipality. Fransman is the Western Cape MEC for local government and housing.
He is the deputy secretary of the ANC.
His support base is the province's rural areas.
- Leonard Ramatlakane: He was the first post-1994 transport MEC in the Western Cape and he is presently the MEC for community safety. Ramatlakane has come through the ranks of the Communist Party and served as the SACP's provincial chairperson for many years.
- Richard Dyanti: He is the policy head of the ANC in the province.
Dyanti is the former secretary of the South East Metro region in Cape Town.
He is a specialised analyst in developmental governance and organisational strategy.
Also being punted by Rasool supporters are Buyiswa Jack, Lynne Brown and Gwebs Qonde.
Top 5 in the Skwatsha camp
- Chairperson: James Ngculu: Former Western Cape provincial secretary and present chairperson of the health committee in parliament. Ngculu is apparently planning to contest the chairmanship of the provincial ANC - going head to head with the incumbent Ebrahim Rasool.
- Deputy chairperson: Mcebisi Skwatsha: He is the present Western Cape provincial secretary of the ANC and the MEC for transport and public works.
He came through the ranks of the student and youth movements of the ANC.
- Provincial secretary: Lerumo Kalako or Whitey Jacobs. Jacobs is the former chairman of the ANC's metro regional executive committee. He is the party's chief whip in the provincial legislature. Kalako is the Western Cape's former MEC for sport under Hernus Kriel, when the province had a unity cabinet that included a National Party and ANC executive.
He is presently an MP in the National Assembly.
- Deputy provincial secretary: Randall van den Heever. A teacher by profession, Van den Heever is an ordinary MP in the National Assembly for the Karoo District.
He was the former general secretary of the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu). He was arrested during October 1992 for a sit-in staged by Sadtu.
- Treasurer: Lynne Brown. Brown was the ANC mayoral candidate who lost to Peter Marais in the first Cape Town unicity elections in 2000. She is the Western Cape MEC for finance, economic development and tourism.