ANTHONY BUTLER: Does the so-called ‘premier league’ actually wield any power?
The idea that there is powerful "premier league" at work in the ANC has seized the imaginations of many political commentators, but it is unlikely that such a group has ever meaningfully existed. The premier league purportedly comprises three ANC provincial chairs working in cahoots: Ace Magashule, David Mabuza and Supra Mahumapelo. The three men have part-time day jobs as the premiers of Free State, Mpumalanga and North West. Since City Press journalists first used the term in August 2015, it has become a staple of political analysis. There can be little doubt that the premiers know one another well, given that they are senior members of the governing party. Their provinces share some common interests: they are key maize producers; they are poor; and they are quite badly run. The premiers are beneficiaries of the constitution’s "equitable share" provision that allocates a steady stream of income to provinces — no matter how abysmally they perform. Beyond these facts, however, it is...
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