New South African president to be sworn in
South Africans spread blankets on the lawns of the presidential compound in Pretoria before dawn today as the country prepared to swear in Jacob Zuma with an excitement that recalled Nelson Mandela’s 1994 inauguration.
Mr Zuma, the fourth president since apartheid ended 15 years ago, enjoys a popularity many compare to Mr Mandela’s. They share rural roots and an easy warmth in crowds, although Mr Zuma’s origins are much humbler.
