Former president Jacob Zuma seems to have left it too late for his announcement that he was available to serve as ANC chairperson to change the minds of the ruling party's branches in at least three provinces.

South Africans woke up yesterday to find that Zuma had, in an overnight statement, not only announced his availability but also backed his former wife and current ANC NEC member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to contest for the ANC presidency...