1.   PLUMMETING personal donations from grassroots supporters to Tory party funds are threatening a deeper financial crisis for the leadership, it was revealed today.

2.   Hoping to energize its grassroots supporters, it has decided to establish a more democratic internal process to select its nominee for the election.

3.   At the end of the nominations procedure, Mbeki said the ANC was receiving a clear message from its grassroots supporters.

4.   But his comments reflected very real and dangerous anger among grassroots supporters of Inkatha and the ANC.

5.   Impatience among grassroots supporters has been growing.

6.   Later, in his closing speech, Mandela urged members of the national executive not to lose touch with grassroots supporters.

7.   Mbeki then thanked the conference for making him president and said the ANC was receiving a clear message from its grassroots supporters.

8.   The ANC has struggled to cope with Mrs. Mandela, but cannot afford to ignore someone so popular among its grassroots supporters.

9.   The letter followed a weekend campaign by ANC leaders to explain her dismissal to grassroots supporters who see Mrs. Mandela as a champion of desperately poor, voiceless blacks.