Thousands of African National Congress activists lined up in the rain Tuesday morning to elect a new leader: either incumbent President Thabo Mbeki or the man he fired in 2005 because of alleged corruption, former deputy president Jacob Zuma. Each candidate's supporters sang and danced their way to the polls. Zuma's supporters also heckled members of Mbeki's cabinet as they passed by, blocking the way of Defense Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and prompting Finance Minister Trevor Manuel to use his umbrella as a shield as he pressed his way through the crowd.
Both sides expressed confidence that they would win a majority of votes from the 3,900 delegates, though Zuma's support has been far more vociferous and visible during the conference's first three days here on the outskirts of the northern city of Polokwane. |