Personality politics is so painful to watch when politicians assume their personalities are anything other than unbearable.

The M&G quizzed the troops of both the ANC and Shikota on why they had chosen their respective political directions.

Everybody knows about Mosiuoa Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George. But who are the other leading lights in the Shikota movement?

Launching a new political party was never going to be easy, but need it be as difficult as this?

Dissidents in the ANC said on Sunday they want to win next year’s general election, as they move to launch a new party to rival the ANC.

The Shikota movement on Saturday declared its intention to launch a new political party that will rival the ANC during the 2009 elections.

The national convention failed to answer questions and concerns of Cosatu, the trade-union federation said in a statement on Saturday.

Mosiuoa Lekota on Saturday opened the national convention by warning that the country was in danger of reverting back to an ”apartheid-era style”.

The national convention gets under way at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday morning, with about 4 000 delegates expected to attend.