Former President Thabo Mbeki appears to be intent on raking over old coals, by publishing a series of articles he claims he will cure people of the belief that he was paranoid in office. This has led to a series of suggestions about his role in our public life, and whether it should be greater than spending time in Sudan and other splendid corners of Africa. One of those proposals is that there be a “Council of Elders” that could play some role in government, perhaps an advisory one. The suggestion makes complete sense. But spend any time thinking about it what it would actually entail and you suddenly realise why it could not happen. Which also reveals how the ANC has mismanaged itself since 1994, and how Mbeki has been the major player, and possibly the root cause, of that mismanagement. By STEPHEN GROOTES.