The year began with a bang for the African National Congress (ANC) following the conclusion of its national conference in December 2022, with the promise to revive its youth, women's and veterans leagues, which were all disbanded for more than five years after suffering from entrenched factional battles. 

The internal fractures, mainly a result of leadership contests as part of jostling for proximity to the levers of state power, were succinctly detailed by the ANC's former chairperson and Parliament Speaker, Baleka Mbete, who did not mince her words in July during the ANC Women's League national conference. 

Mbete alluded to the aftermath of the ANC's 2007 Polokwane national conference, which elected Jacob Zuma as party president in a bitter fight with his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki – which spawned the creation of Cope as a breakaway political organisation. 

"The post-Polokwane intensely factional environment had a very negative effect on all movement structures at all levels. The women were also affected as they were part of the movement and all its formations. It is a fact that, when history is captured, it will show how exactly and how much we reflected this contamination as women," Mbete said in her July report to the league's gathering. 

The youth and women's league conferences each had to continue beyond their allocated three days in July after squabbles over delegate credentials and general tardiness, which have recently become the hallmark of ANC gatherings. 

The ANC's woes were piling up as the year drew to a close. The party had to fight off the sheriff of the court after events company Ezulweni Investments attached its accounts and other physical assets to recover R102-million owed to the company for merchandise supplied to the party for the 2019 elections campaign.  

The move to attach the party's assets followed a scathing Supreme Court of Appeal judgment against the ANC – and party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula in particular, who was the party's 2019 elections head.

The party has said it is taking its fight to the Constitutional Court as it claims that it did not enter into any business transaction with Ezulweni and that this was a work of fraud by its officials.

Party president Cyril Ramaphosa is said to have intervened in the embarrassment ahead of the 2024 elections.

ANC stalwart Mavuso Msimang's resignation was another blow for the governing party, as it faces one of its toughest elections yet. 

Msimang, who served the ANC for 60 years, resigned citing, among other concerns, how the party had been "wracked by endemic corruption", which had had devastating consequences for the lives of the people of South Africa.

Another party veteran, Pallo Jordan, told News24 it was "an extremely sad day for the ANC" when Msimang resigned. He said this was not only because of the veteran's contribution to the liberation movement, but also because the Msimang family had made immeasurable contributions to the ANC.

"If there is a family to be referred to as a royal family in the ANC, it is the Msimang family," Jordan said, adding that Msimang's father was among those who drafted the first ANC constitution and was one of the party's founding members. 

Jordan added: 

That things have come to a point where a veteran like Mavuso feels that he has to resign is indicative of very deep malaise.

However, in a dramatic twist, Msimang withdrew his resignation after what appeared to have been some convincing from his comrades. 

Mbalula was forced to withdraw his accusations that Msimang had been bribed to join another political formation, and was made to apologise.

News24 reported that Mbalula had been rebuked by the ANC's top leadership for his public attack on Msimang.

The ANC is headed into its most momentous election yet, considering the tight margins by opinion polls that have the party tracking at a paltry 48% – nearly 10% lower than it achieved at the 2019 elections.

The latest shenanigans in its ranks have added a significant dent to a party that already suffers from damaged credibility as it fights to remain in power for a further five years.