In pouring rain,South Africa lifts all clouds over its new President

About 30,000 people are estimated to have come to Pretoria to watch on public screens the inauguration ceremony attended by Nelson Mandela and dignitaries from all over the world,including Indias Vice-President Hamid Ansari.

His swearing-in was followed by Izobongo,a ritual held in praise of Zulu kings and chieftains. If on previous rallies,Zuma would sing the Zulu anthem Bring me my machine gun,today he went down on his knees to Mandela,seeking his blessings.

The Western media is focusing only on the corruption charges but theres more to Zuma than that, says Fatima Meer,an academic and a leading anti-apartheid activist who wrote Higher than Hope,the first authorised biography of Nelson Mandela. You know the African National Congress is very much like the Indian National Congress. It came with a lot of promise but delivered many disappointments. I am hoping with Zuma becoming President,things will take a U-turn. He… comes from the bottom rung and I hope he can do something for the poor, says Meer,whose well-known family in Durban has roots in Gujarat and who wrote the screenplay for Shyam Benegals The Making of the Mahatma,based on her book.

In fact,it is Zumas pro-poor image thats won him popularity from the people and crucial support from the Left and the Trade Unions support that enabled him to script a spectacular comeback. Zuma is very much a peoples person. Unlike previous President Thabo Mbeki who was a thinker,who wrote his own speeches,Zuma is not academic but he is more accessible. Mbeki lived in an ivory tower but Zuma is more malleable and surrounds himself by all sorts of people, says Fatimas niece and well-known designer Nadia Meer.

As far as personal integrity goes,it would be difficult for anyone to step into Mandelas shoes,but for Zuma it may be a particularly loose fit. Over the years the ANC leader has been surrounded by controversies that could have spelt the end of many a political career. Seven years ago,he fell out with then President Mbeki and was dismissed from deputy presidency and later charged with rape and corruption over a 1999 arms deal. His friends and followers claimed the charges were trumped up and he was later acquitted of the rape charge and this year also of the corruption charges.

But there is a lingering embarrassment over his comments on HIV/AIDS. At his trial in 2006,after he was accused of raping an HIV positive woman,he was asked what precautions he had taken to avoid infection. He maintained it was consensual and not rape and that he had showered to minimise the risk of infection. Incidentally,at the time,he was heading a programme on AIDS.

But this hasnt dented his popularity and his polygamy is not a pressing concern here. Just because he is President,he should not pretend to be different…. My father has two wives too. We call the elder one,elder mother, says 35-year-old Nokuthula,a Zulu,who works in a hotel in Johannesburg.

Zumas background has helped add to his stature as a strong,self-made leader. He grew up in rural Zululand in 1942,herded cattle and later moved to an impoverished township outside Durban. He was part of the armed wing of the ANC and spent 10 years in prison on Robben Island. During the anti-apartheid struggle,he was known to have been ruthless,especially on those suspected to be ANC supporters.

Of course,things have changed in the 15 years since apartheid ended. Now,you can do or get anything as long as you can afford it. Apartheid has been replaced by economic apartheid, says Hlanganani Mtshali,who works in the Public Works Department.

There is a growing Black middle-class but theres also a growing gap between the rich and the poor. In fact,as far as that inequality is concerned,South Africa is second only to Brazil, says Mtshali. The average South African hopes that Zuma,if not build the bridge across that divide,at least lay down its first few stones.