Uganda, Feb. 27 -- South Africa's post-apartheid ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) is facing its most daunting elections yet. But perhaps its ex-stalwart and former President Jacob Zuma may be the part-mastermind.

Even before the recent formation of a directly competing political party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation, or MK), which was the name of ANC's armed wing, the ANC's internal poll showed it was able to garner about 48 per cent of the total vote expected in the next elections. MK naming may involve a legal battle as the ANC says it owns the name.

Independent pollsters have put the ANC on even lower numbers based on surveyed sentiment among likely voters, sometimes as low as 38 per cent.

And that was witho...