Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela yesterday withdrew at the last minute as a candidate for the deputy presidency of the African National Congress, thereby opening the way for the uncontested election of Mr Jacob Zuma, the choice of the ANC establishment.
The withdrawal of Ms Madikizela-Mandela, who was accused of serious human rights abuses at a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearing less than a month ago, overshadowed the unanimous election earlier of Mr Thabo Mbeki as ANC president, in place of President Nelson Mandela.
After not being nominated as a candidate by any of the nine provincial delegations to the ANC's 50th National Conference, Ms Madikizela-Mandela had only one chance under the ANC constitution of entering the contest against Mr Zuma: through nomination from the floor.
An eleventh-hour change to the constitution, passed shortly before voting yesterday, raised the quota of votes needed for a successful nomination from the floor from a tenth to a quarter of the delegates.
Nevertheless, when an election official asked whether there were any nominations from the floor, Ms Madikizela-Mandela was nominated, but not by any of the notables in the ANC Women's League, of which she is president.
An electoral officer's request for a show of hands in support of the nomination drew a scant response, fewer than 100 votes according to most observers and well short of the roughly 750 required to meet the 25 per cent quota.
Then, however, the electoral officer asked Ms Madikizela-Mandela whether she accepted the nomination, a question which, according to one high-ranking ANC delegate, she should have put to the women's league president before asking for the show of hands. Ms Madikizela-Mandela's response was to stall by asking for an adjournment to consult her "structures".
But, in his first formal decision as ANC president, Mr Mbeki ruled there was no provision for consultation and that Ms Madikizela-Mandela had to decide there and then whether to stand.
Addressing her supporters, Ms Madikizela-Mandela replied: "I apologise for having to decline".
The minimal support for Ms Madikizela-Mandela's nomination surprised many observers because she had been greeted by adoring crowds when she arrived at the conference earlier yesterday. Many of those same admirers later balked at publicly declaring their support by a show of hands, leaving open the question of the outcome had a secret ballot been held.
At the end of the day it was still not clear whether Ms Madikizela-Mandela has suffered a decisive defeat or a mere setback in her quest for higher office. A pointer should emerge today when ANC delegates elect candidates to the national executive committee. At the last ANC conference, Ms Madikizela-Mandela received the fifth most votes. A substantially lower rating would be prima-facie evidence that the allegations levelled against her at the TRC hearing have seriously damaged, if not destroyed, her political appeal.