Only time will tell what the exact gains or losses for political parties will be with the establishment of an ANC breakaway party. The electorate will be the main victors in this exciting development.

Only time will tell what the exact gains or losses for political parties will be with the establishment of an ANC breakaway party. The electorate will be the main victors in this exciting development.

This clearly paves the way to bring to an end the intolerable situation in which one party enjoys 70 percent of electoral support.

This abnormal majority is counter-productive to a vibrant multi-party democracy at the cost of accountable, transparent and effective government.

Once united in its fight against the injustices of apartheid, the ANC alliance failed to transform itself into a real political party promoting service delivery in the new political dispensation.

And Jacob Zuma's problems have only started. Should he become president, what will his economic policy be? He owes the alliance's left wing and if he does not live up to their expectations, he will find himself in an invidious position. If you try to satisfy everybody you end up satisfying nobody.

In the long run the ANC might even disappear from the political scene because of its failure to come to terms with the reality of a nonracial, democratic South Africa in desperate need of genuine political leadership.

This is the rebirth of a viable multiparty democracy. It is the best Christmas gift South Africans could ask for.

Francois Bekker, Muckleneuk