South Africa: Shifting Loyalties Within the ANC

Several members of South Africa's Northern Sotho ethnic group who had been part of the alliance supporting President Jacob Zuma during his rise to power appear to be working to satisfy their own political ambitions. The Northern Sotho are too few in number to effectively challenge Zuma's alliance (which includes the Zulu, South Africa's largest ethnic group and arguably the only ethnic group that votes strongly along ethnic lines). If the Northern Sotho want one of their own to become president, they will have to gain the support of the Xhosa, South Africa's second-largest ethnic group and the Zulu's main political rivals. Failing this, the Northern Sotho likely will back down.