Fortunately, we are not alone ... we can refer to the way the USA runs leadership contests either by reference to the House of Cards or to the ongoing saga of Trump, Russia and the dirty DNC. Or consider the way in which, in the UK, Jeremy Corbyn was so bitterly opposed by his party leadership and the press until it turned out that he had the overwhelming support of his members.

Why did no one warn South Africans that this is what grown-up politics looks like? A nasty, dirty, business.