In Mangaung: Kings and Kingmakers political journalist Mandy Rossouw takes us from the last elective conference of the ANC, at Polokwane, to the present day, where we’re introduced to the eight men who have the most influence on what will happen at Mangaung, and following that, in the race to the national poll in 2014. And then we take a tour through ANC politicking in South Africa’s nine provinces, because branch-level dynamics are still the key to understanding the ANC. This is the book to read if you’ve ever wondered whether the ANC’s claim that collective will trumps individual ambitions is actually true. Mangaung: Kings and Kingmakers explains who has been in power, and who is taking over. Most likely you’re not one of the 4 000 delegates with a vote at Mangaung, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to know more about who’ll be smiling at you from near the top of your ballot paper come April 2014.