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The word internecine has appeared in 30 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 10 in “South Africa’s Elections: A Weakened A.N.C. Clings to Victory” by Norimitsu Onishi:

President Cyril Ramaphosa had hoped that a decisive victory would hand him a popular mandate to carry out far-reaching reforms. But the results from Wednesday’s election — though largely positive given a stagnant economy and the relentless revelations of corruption in the party — were unlikely to quell powerful party rivals, political analysts said.

… For both Mr. Ramaphosa’s allies and rivals in the party, one of the most consequential questions focused on whether a Ramaphosa-led African National Congress would outperform the party under Mr. Zuma. The results would embolden one side or another in the continuing internecine battles.