The Sunday newspaper titles have incompatible analyses about what the ABZ-camp(s) decided this week. These incompatibilities show they all missed the real conclusion --- there is incoherence among the ABZ lot that plays into Zuma's hands, rather than weakens him.

The Sunday Times implies that: a) There is no evidence of an actual ABZ-camp, since they really report only individual claims that weakly connect to an 'ABZ'-plot.

b.) For example, the Sunday Times assumes that Pallo Jordan's moral criticism of the leadership is necessarily an anti-Zuma jibe (as opposed to, say, an anti-collective current leadership jibe, inclusive of Motlanthe and Sexwale).

c.) Motlanthe, in the Sunday Times coverage, is possibly on two slates; the Zuma and ABZ slates, yet his picture on the front page is aimed at conveying a clear decision by him (not confirmed) that he is opposing Zuma. 

d.) The Sunday Times also assumes Bheki Cele can deliver KZN votes for Motlanthe with no evidence of branches in KZN being open to his suasion. 

e) Tokyo Sexwale, it is simply asserted, would be the deputy to Motlanthe.

By contrast, the Sunday Independent implies that Phosa would be deputy to Motlanthe, and not Sexwale (who is right then?!)

Enter the Sunday World: They claim that Gauteng wants Joel Netshithenze as Secretary General. This while the Sunday Times and Sunday Independent insist, by contrast, that there's a tug-of-war between the names of Fikile Mbalula and Gwede Mantashe for the SG role on the ABZ-slate.

This political coverage actually supports three different conclusions that should, in reality, be the 'take aways' for readers:

1) The ABZ camp is incoherent - which strengthens, rather than weakens, JZ's hand. There isn't a unity of purpose and strategy, and disagreement will hamstring serious efforts to stop a second Zuma term.

2). The media is over hasty in 'confirming' slates and camps, based on thin evidence. This is a result of the needless pressure reporters and editors themselves under to break stories rather than getting them right. Smart - and evidence-sensitive - newsrooms would prioritise truth and substantive analysis over hastily chosen narratives based on a few, and often thin, set of sources.

3) All these stories belie the more complex ANC constitutional reality that nomination processes are bottom up and there aren't guarantees that branches and delegates will simply follow orders from regional or provincial leaderships as they prepare to go to Mangaung.

Remember Polokwane 2007 when the media made the same reporting mistakes? Mangaung coverage is destined to be as error prone, on the media front. Readers, beware.

- Eusebius McKaiser is a political analyst and host of Talk At Nine on Talk Radio 702. Follow him on twitter @eusebius

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