News that a shiny‚ straight-out-of-the box political formation built around Jacob Zuma is on the cards is actually old hat.

Those of us who have watched Zuma's actions over the past few years and months have always known that‚ as the light of his kleptocratic state dimmed‚ he would forge a new populist path to defend himself and his cronies from going to jail. The script is unfolding like clockwork.

Last week‚ Zuma supporters gathered at the symbol of the man's grand and comedic corruption – the grotesque Nkandla and its famed fire pool – to “welcome him back” to KwaZulu-Natal. It was nothing of the sort. They were launching part of their fight-back campaign‚ as I pointed out here months ago.

What is really of interest now is this: What is their thinking? What holds them together? What are their motives? In KwaZulu-Natal last week a member of the ANC national executive committee turned around to me and said: “You have to ask yourself‚ why do white people like Cyril Ramaphosa so much?”

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