A year after the bitter leadership contest between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma in Polokwane, the ruling party is still divided into camps loyal to either one of them. Pulled in separate directions, the centre cannot hold. The ANC has begun to self-destruct. Even with the breakaway formation of COPE, it remains split down the middle.

The national leadership of the ANC has become consumed with paranoia. It has begun victimising and smearing its internal opponents, as all closed, crony parties do when the struggle for power and positions becomes vicious and causes the party to turn in on itself. And, as is always the case, it is the people who suffer as politicians focus their attention on internal battles instead of delivering on their promises to the people.

Here in the North West, ANC divisions run deep and service delivery suffers the consequences.

On 3 February, ANC Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe wrote a letter to all ANC provincial secretaries urging them to implement the national executive committee (NEC) decision to "deal with ANC members who work for other parties from within the ANC structures". He also called on ANC members to provide the NEC with evidence of alleged underground activities of fellow members.

Just two days after Mantashe's letter was delivered, 10 councillors from the Greater Taung municipality in the North West were expelled and another eight from three municipalities in the Free State were given their marching orders. His letter was used to fast-track the expulsions, in contravention of the ANC's own constitution for disciplinary measures against party members.

The ANC's embattled Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in the North West - which the national leadership suspects of being pro-Mbeki - objected to the expulsions.

The PEC's unhappiness runs deep. This week, an official document, authored by members of the PEC and entitled "The Provincial Analysis of the Elections Milieu in the North West: Achievements and Challenges", was leaked to the DA. It paints a vivid picture of an organisation tearing itself apart.

The document highlights the following internal challenges faced by the ANC PEC:

The ongoing disruption of ANC meetings and other activities by party members hostile to the PEC.

A continuing programme by some members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union to disrupt service delivery in certain municipalities as part of a "broader strategy to intensify the projection of the [North West] province as being out of control of the PEC".

A campaign to depict the majority of PEC members as being COPE supporters.

A programme of disinformation against the PEC, aimed at "bringing it [the PEC] down and purging from the ANC "those who are believed or known not to have supported the dominant lobby slate during the national conference in Polokwane".

Low levels of political trust between the PEC and the ANC's NEC.

In addition, the document catalogues numerous instances in which ANC members have used violent methods to resolve their differences. It acknowledges that these differences arise from "the current challenges of governance with comrades at each other's throats for control in different sections of the government sphere".

Patronage is one of the key levers of control for purposes of self enrichment.

Members of the closed circle in the ANC abuse their power to reward their cronies with contracts and tenders. When that happens, service delivery suffers.

For example, ANC councillors in Ikageng have awarded housing contracts to their friends. And those residents who had their housing subsidies approved - after paying R2500 directly to the contractors - are still waiting for the contractors to complete their work. Many homes are surrounded by open ditches, which pose a huge threat to community safety.

Internal political wrangling and power abuse in Ikageng have slowed down service delivery. They have caused the ANC to neglect the people, with tragic consequences. Children have already died because of the ANC's neglect. When the council began excavation in Extension 11B last year, they left deep trenches uncovered, unguarded and unmarked. Two children fell into the trenches and died.

The fallout between Mbeki and Zuma has poisoned the ANC in the North West. It has already led to Premiers being purged in other provinces. Nationally, it has split the party. And the ANC will split further still, until it eventually disintegrates. The biggest beneficiary of that split will be the DA, because the DA is united. And only the DA is big enough, and only the DA has the required clean record in government, to drive the process of coalition-building that will ultimately lead the ANC to lose power nationally in 2014.

That process has already started. The election on 22 April is an important milestone in the process, because the DA is on track to win the Western Cape, and we stand a good chance of being able to form coalition governments in other provinces, too.

So help us to drive the process. Take advantage of the split in the ANC. On 22 April, vote DA and vote to win!

This is an extract of a speech by Democratic Alliance leader, Helen Zille, Chris Hani hall, Ikageng, North West province, February 26 2009

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