In a recent article, I wrote about five trends that will characterise 2020. These five are:

• Greater centralisation and State control by the ANC government on the actions of South Africans;
• Better investigations, charges and prosecutions by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Hawks.
• The gradual but definite erosion of government institutions’ ability to govern, manage, maintain and provide basic services;
• The ongoing infighting within the ANC and its alliance partners (and accompanying attacks on President Ramaphosa); and
• The stagnant economy (with the possibility of a downgrade lurking).

In the past week, the focus of the media and citizens has specificially been on the infighting in the ANC (no. 4 above), which was influenced and even driven by Eskom’s problems (no. 3 above).