Africa 24 Media Photography

He has struggled to get to the top; finally he is there. Outspoken against same sex marriage, self-proclaimed polygamist and proud of his Zulu tribe, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is now the fourth post-apartheid president of Republic of South Africa. Early rain did not dampen the spirits of tens of thousands of South Africans who flocked the south lawn of the Union Buildings to witness his inauguration which put him in-charge of Africa’s biggest economy. Zuma took the oath of office in front of thousands of steadfast supporters and 5,000 invited guests among them African heads of state, top diplomats and former South Africa presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

Zuma takes office after overcoming scandals and a struggle for control of South Africa’s most powerful party ANC. Many may have seen the many accusations labeled against the man who likes to dance on stage as the beginning of his downfall, but during the ANC general elections in December 2007, he won the party’s leadership, defeating Thabo Mbeki and proving most of his critics wrong. Aware of the many predicaments ahead of him, Zuma in his inauguration speech acknowledged the country has faced difficult economic times and promised South Africans that he would strive to help improve their lives, and serve the nation “with dedication, commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work and passion.” It has certainly been a rough and tough ride for Zuma, having been sacked as vice-president by Thabo Mbeki four years past, and being implicated in a corruption scandal, which was only dropped two weeks before the general elections. Zuma still managed to lead his party to a convincing election victory. Atop of Zuma’s agenda will be navigating the Rainbow Nation through what could be her first economic recession since the protracted 1988-1993 recession, the longest in South Africa's history. Investors would be giving a keen watch of how he deals with economic issues in the country, spearheaded by new Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan who replaces veteran, Trevor Manuel. He would also have to oversee infrastructure upgrade, security beef-up, social services improvement, among other amenities in preparation for the forthcoming Confederations Cup which will test the waters for the country’s readiness to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup gala in June next year.
 

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