Zuma wins ANC leadership election

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Jacob Zuma has defeated South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki to win the leadership of the country's ruling ANC.

Mr Zuma won the votes of more than 60% of the delegates at the leadership conference to claim victory.

The result follows two days of bitter debate, during which President Mbeki was heckled by supporters of Mr Zuma.

Correspondents say that Mr Zuma will now become the frontrunner to take over as president when Mr Mbeki is obliged to stand down in 2009.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7149183.stm

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He was acquitted of rape, last year, and could still face corruption charges. It's going to be an eventful presidency.

[Robbien]

1. It is hard to figure out if this is a good thing or not

For me, the politics in South Africa are confusing to follow.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Well, Desmond Tutu didn't think he should be the leader

Tutu urges ANC not to choose Zuma

The former Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, has urged South Africa's governing African National Congress not to choose Jacob Zuma as its new leader.

He said most people would be ashamed to have Mr Zuma as leader and that South Africa deserved someone better.
...
"We're very worried that this leader had relations with a woman who regarded him as a parent," he told South Africa's Mail & Guardian newspaper.

This was an apparent reference to the woman Mr Zuma was acquitted of raping. She was a family friend less than half his age with whom he had unprotected sex while being aware she was HIV-positive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7145646.stm

[Yupster]

5. I don't know anything either, but

I read somewhere that the winner has no formal education at all while the loser has advanced college degrees.

Not to sound elitist, but a president with no formal education at all can't be a good thing.

[ButterflyBlood]

6. Bad BAD thing

This guy claims that you can avoid contracting AIDS after having sex with someone who has it by showering afterwards and I believe also claimed something along the lines of that AIDS is part of a Jewish conspiracy. He's a complete disaster. I feel very sorry for South Africa now.

[Sultana]

2. Stupid, Stupid Decision!

The ANC is going backwards, if Zuma is the best they could do. They need fresh faces and need to stop electing corrupt people.:grr:

:puke:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. there is a fresh face in the wings

the problem is it is Trevor Manuel - and despite his impecible ANC credentials that include being thrown in jail under apartheid and being very close to Mandella, the "problem" speaks for itself if you look at the picture in the link.

http://www.info.gov.za/leaders/ministers/finance.htm

[Eugene]

7. 'Enough evidence' to charge Zuma

Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Thursday, 20 December 2007, 08:04 GMT

'Enough evidence' to charge Zuma

South Africa's top prosecutor says there is enough
evidence to charge the new leader of the governing
party, Jacob Zuma, with corruption.

The acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority,
Mokotedi Mpshe, said a final decision on when to take
action against him was "imminent".

The charges relate to an arms buying scandal, which
saw one of Mr Zuma's advisers jailed for 15 years.

Mr Zuma was elected leader of the African National
Congress on Tuesday.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7153250.stm