With the ANC splintering and in a state of deshabille, President Cyril Ramaphosa adopted his best buffalo stance at this weekend’s NEC meeting and faced down his many opponents.

Cyril Ramaphosa stared down his opponents at the weekend in an attempt to make the space to lead the party out of political gridlock, according to party leaders. The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will enter its fourth and final day on Monday, after intense politicking that saw jibes from each of the two main factions.

Leaders associated with the Ramaphosa camp were jubilant, claiming the meeting demonstrated that the president had control of the party. They also believed that their opponents were not able to land any damaging blows.

Former ministers under Jacob Zuma — Mosebenzi Zwane and Bongani Bongo — were labelled by the opposition camp as being among vociferous critics of Ramaphosa. This camp includes people such as Faith Muthambi and Thandi Mahambehlala.

Jacob Zuma attended the meeting, in which he was criticised for his claims at the Zondo Commission that some of his colleagues were apartheid spies who drove a conspiracy to remove him from politics. He is an “ex officio” member of the NEC, due to…