The look on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's face during President Jacob Zuma's closing address to the ANC's national policy conference spoke volumes.
Although the ANC leadership and delegates made a superb effort to present a united front at the closing session on Wednesday, it seemed Ramaphosa could not conceal his surprise and irritation.
Barring an unexpected turn of events, this was Zuma's last closing speech at an ANC national conference. He will deliver the opening address at the ANC's 54th national conference in December, but the new president will close it.
Zuma made the most of the platform at the end of the six-day meeting.
As he did with his denigration of ANC veterans and stalwarts last week, Zuma raised the eyebrows of many of his comrades, including some national executive committee members on stage, when he again veered off script.
This time he lobbied for a KwaZulu-Natal proposal for the loser of the ANC presidential race to automatically become deputy president.
"If one wins let us not take the other one away. Let us make the other a deputy," Zuma said. "This is a remedy to kill factions in the ANC."
This proposal was not considered seriously at the policy conference — it was raised at a commission, but was not incorporated into the final reports. So there were some gasps and howls in the hall when Zuma brought it up.
Ramaphosa had a printout of Zuma's speech resting on his computer, which he followed as he typed notes.Ramaphosa will be boxed in whatever the outcome.
If he wins, he will be forced to work with Dlamini-Zuma as his deputy. If he loses, he will be forced to serve under her and not be able to opt out like Kgalema Motlanthe did in 2012.
Since the proposal does not accommodate more than two candidates in the presidential race, Sisulu and all other contenders would have to fall by the wayside — or be air-dropped into the other top positions, such as the proposed second deputy president.
This will result in erosion of democracy in the ANC's already flawed electoral process with officials being selected through prearrangement.
Zuma wants the ANC membership to believe that this would be in aid of the greater good — to prevent a "winner takes all" outcome. He seemed not to have minded this five years ago when his camp made a clean sweep in Mangaung.
Zuma's mission now is to rule from the grave.
This sudden effort to deal with factionalism on the last lap of his term as ANC president is to fashion himself as the elder who could guide the incoming leadership and heal the wounds — many of which he created.
The role of "President Emeritus" appears to be Zuma's new pipe dream...