The revelation that there are people in the ANC who genuinely believe Richemont chair Johann Rupert can “summon” President Cyril Ramaphosa, or “instruct” him to axe secretary-general Ace Magashule lest he lose his “financial support” is depressing enough. 

But the fact that influential politicians are evidently in thrall to the idea that “Stellenbosch” — a town of various larger-than-life personalities with vastly differing views, allegiances and incentives — is secretly running the country shows how rudimentary some of their conspiracy theories really are...