Apparently, the former deputy president is holding all the aces.
He is now in the great position of having the swing votes to negotiate with either the president or the new deputy and his "gang of betrayers".
The president knows he cannot control the party without the support of the former deputy, but the former deputy knows he can control the party with the new deputy.
So he can back either in exchange for goodies in the form of seats of power in the States and in the headquarters for his band of loyalists.
The former deputy president will obviously back whoever gives him the better deal.
It looks like he will have the last laugh because his story is that of, in the words of a respected analyst, "a dead duck that became a lame duck that became a live duck".
So indeed there is life after (political) death.
Sixteen central committee members including the new deputy president are in favour of fresh party elections, but they do not have the numbers to force new party elections to be held - that would require the backing of two-thirds of the central committee.
The new deputy and the other "betrayers" desperately need the backing of the former deputy.
Tomorrow, the party's central committee will meet and we will find out which side has offered the better deal.
There are three possible outcomes - two-thirds or the entire central committee resign to force new party polls; the 16 rebels will ask for an EGM to decide whether to call for fresh polls; or the president will table his so-called Greater Unity Plan to be endorsed by his and the former deputy president's supporters.
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