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He may be the most controversial figure in African politics � a skirt-chasing "Zulu Boy" shrouded by accusations of corruption and rape who marches to the tune called "Bring Me My Machine Gun."

South Africa, meet your next president.

Jacob Zuma, the self-proclaimed "100 Percent Zulu Boy" and new leader of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), has garnered the popular support of communists and young people, some of whom publicly display anti-gay and anti-feminist views.

South African presidents are chosen by the 400 members of the directly-elected National Assembly, one of the two houses of parliament.

Although more than a dozen parties are represented in parliament, the ruling ANC has been the main player in South African politics since 1994, which means that Zuma is the most likely successor when current president Thabo Mbeki steps down.

(The ANC's rivals include the Democratic Alliance (DA), the biggest opposition party, and the predominantly Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).)

Women's groups may be sounding off over the values of the polygamist president-to-be, but Zuma is no stranger to controversy.

In the most recent installment on his path to the South African presidency, one that could be mistaken for an episode of HBO's "Big Love," Zuma took his fourth wife over the weekend.

It is estimated that he has about 20 children. His eldest wife, Sizakele Khumao, has renounced her "first lady" status in favor of his new 33-year-old wife.

A former wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is South Africa's foreign minister and a potential political rival.

Removed as national deputy president after fraud charges two years ago, Zuma will be supported by the ANC for the national presidency despite corruption and rape charges, the party announced this week.

Confronted with the rape charge, Zuma took the old "short skirt" excuse, claiming it was his duty as a Zulu warrior to have sex with a woman if she wore a short kanga (an African wrap) and that he could not leave her "unfulfilled."

Zuma told the court that he knew the woman was "clearly aroused" by the fact that her kanga was "quite short" � meaning knee-length.

"In the Zulu culture, you cannot just leave a woman if she is ready," he explained in court.

According to Zuma's defense, Zulu men have sexual primacy over women. Therefore, he could not be guilty.

"To deny her sex, that would have been tantamount to rape," he claimed.

The accusing woman, who was 31 and HIV-positive at the time of the incident, is the daughter of one of Zuma's now-dead liberation-war comrades.

She alleged that when she went for advice in late 2005 to the home of the man she had known since childhood and had always called "uncle," Zuma forced his 250-pound frame upon her.

During the subsequent trial, thousands of Zuma's supporters congregated outside the courthouse, chanting "kill the bitch" and pelting the accuser with as she arrived each morning. She was given police protection due to death threats.

At one point, Zuma was caught attempting to bribe the victim's aunt with an offer of two cows and a new garden fence in exchange for persuading the victim to withdraw the allegations.

But was Zuma, the former head of the National AIDS Council in a country where one in seven citizens are HIV-positive, and aware of the woman's HIV-positive status, concerned about unprotected sex?

"I had a shower afterwards," Zuma explained after announcing that he had chosen not to use a condom.

In a country where, according to human rights groups, a woman is raped every 26 seconds, Zuma was found not guilty.

His throngs of supporters who refer to him as "JZ" dismiss the rape and corruption allegations as plots masterminded by government intelligence agents to prevent Zuma's rise to power.

Zuma has also been accused of taking bribes in a defense-contract scandal for which he still faces trial, as well as charges of consorting with criminals, prostitutes and corruption.

Despite claims that the judiciary is independent, he will have significant influence over his own prosecution as the head of the ANC.

A recent KPMG auditing report alleges that the man at the center of the defense-contract scandal, fraud convict Schabir Shaik, spent over $21 million on Zuma's children, including allowances, cars and cash payment for a wedding.

The report also suggests that Shaik and his companies footed the bill for Zuma's household and travel expenses.

Zuma faces 16 charges, including one charge of racketeering, two counts of corruption, one count of money laundering and 12 counts of fraud.

Ironically, Zuma's problems have only increased his support among the poverty-stricken and the oppressed.

Under President Mbeki, discontent has escalated in the black population. Most South African blacks still live in shocking conditions, with one person murdered every 20 minutes and unemployment at 90 percent in some townships.

In his striking political comeback, the 65-year-old Zuma, who often wears a T-shirt with the words, "100 percent Zulu boy" or his trademark cowhide robe and Zulu shield, led his thousands of supporters Tuesday, many from the Young Communist League, in preparation to succeed Mbeki as the new ANC leader.

Zuma left home at 16 and joined the ANC as a foot soldier for the armed wing of the liberation movement, Umkhonto we Sizwe or Spear of the Nation.

At 21, he was arrested for conspiring to overthrow the apartheid government and served 10 years in prison alongside liberation hero Nelson Mandela in the notorious jail on Robben Island offshore from Cape Town.

Mbeki is also a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, but unlike Zuma, he is seen as an intellectual who left South Africa to pursue an economics degree in England during the anti-apartheid struggle.

A series of corruption scandals, including the theft of millions intended for vital drugs, increased opinion against Mbeki.

Zuma, a committed communist, has signaled his intent to "Africanize" the country, and there are said to be plans to seize some white-owned South African farms.

In neighboring Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, who is similarly committed to "Africanizing," his land-reform policies have brought famine to his country through the seizure of white-owned farms.

It is the concern that Zuma's proposed land-redistribution plans could lead to the same negative consequences.

Thirteen years after emerging from apartheid and starting down the path of Mandela's "Rainbow Nation", Africa's super power and largest economy, South Africa now embarks down the road of "Bring Me My Machine Gun."

And yet we keep pumping billions of dollars in aid into that pit of rat holes collectively known as Africa and expect a different outcome.

Isn't that the definition of insanity?

To say nothing of the ridiculous decision to forgive most African countries of their national debt.

I love Africa and although I'm a Brit, I choose to live in Africa because it's Africa, As I said, I love it warts and all. - But I do sometimes wonder quite why the western world think they can solve Africa's problems with western solutions...........

I agree and think it can probably summed up as a strong case of ethnocentricity.

Of course if the dollar keeps falling, we soon will be broke enough to not worry about being robbed or murdered in Africa for money... but unable to afford to still hunt there.

I am hunting in May with a friend that owns a safari co. in South Africa. His ancestors settled in the area & he & several brothers own a large amount of land used to raise sheep, crops, & hunt. He is deeply worried & as a past president of PHSA indicated that other safari co's & land owners fear big changes are coming. None for the good of the hunting industry.

Is he really any worse than bad-boy Barry who was convicted of a felony when he was Mayor of Washington D.C. --- and after he served his time, he was re-elected Mayor once again.

His re-election slogan was "He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for D.C"

In the words of Tony Soprano, "Whatta Gonna Do?"

Not good if all goes as stated above. I will hope for better for everyone's sake.

I dont want to get to political, but Lucikly South Africa owns a lot of resources that the world is after, Gold, Diamonds, Coal, Platinum and many more and dangerous ones too like uranium.

So unlike Zimbabwe with less resources and less white and indian folk. Money is mostly going to keep the country stable. Especially if you consider that Tourism is our biggest indutry and that includes hunting. And since we are going to host the 2010 World Cup soccer we will need a stable country for it. And that is one thing these guys do not want to throw away.

To summarize greed and money runs this country like any other nothing else.

Ian Smith said what was going to happen, and well everybody and his mother thought he was nuts. South Africa and Rhodesia were the only two countries in Africa that worked. Out side of the hunting, why would anybody put up with it? You say money and greed runs the country well I would bet a dollar to a donut that you guys just love to run up in gold prices of late. Since when is it greed if you are being successful in business or what ever it is that you do? People want gold and are willing to pay 900 an oz for it, same with just about every thing. For every boom there will be a bust. Its the natural order of things. It don't matter a wit if its gold oil diamonds, Software , TV's or Airplanes. If you make a good product or provide a good service, money follows. South Africa, makes it affordable to hunt, and in doing so they do very well in that endevor. People get to go and do, and both parties needs are met. Its to bad that when its all said and done, its the politico's the gum up the works.

Holy crap!!

Makes me glad for our relatively stable politics. It does sound as if Bill Clinton would be right at home as President of South Africa, tho.

how safe for visitors in the future?

I suspect we will find out in 2010 when the entire world is scheduled to visit SA for soccer's World Cup.

Since I already live in Alaska, most people think I'm crazy when I tell them I want to retire to Africa. I know other Alaskans that have already done it so it can't be too crazy.

Well, Alaskans have never, as a group, been too known for their sanity or grip on reality. See ya and good luck. I may even know of a few farms for sale there. No Native Claims on them presently but as 2 from the RSA told me at the DSC most recently, "with Africa, you never know".

A fool and his/her money are soon parted. You've visited Africa how many times?? Please tell us.

OT

[quote=Old_Toot...... You've visited Africa how many times?? Please tell us.OT [/quote]

Been there a bit...not as much as some, more than others. Was married to a Malagasy gal for 14 years and lived in Tananarive for a couple of those. Been in and out of Cairo & Nairobi. Hunted Namibia on a farm part-owned by a local Alaskan acquaintance of mine. Got to visit a fair bit of the country during that trip. Been to SA and will most likely be visiting there and Namibia again when my son does a cultural exchange program to Cape Town in 2010. Also lived and traveled in various other 3rd World countries not of Africa.....How about you?

Sounds like you have an inside track on things there and, again, good luck with your endevour should you go.
I was in and out of RSA and Moz for +4 yrs on business travels.

OT

Good info on S.Africa do you have any suggestion for Botswana as far as a place to relocate from the States.

Moz always looked interesting. Got any insight on Maputo?

FWIW, I live in White River RSA fairly close to both borders. Botswana is well organised, has less crime than most places in Africa and the people are very peaceful. The downside is that the infrastructure isn't great esp the shopping facilities etc.... but you can get by.

Mozambique is fairly peaceful now, but is an absolute stuff up as far as Government or rather, lack of Government is concerned and the infrastructure is a whole lot worse than Botswana.

The area I live in SA is very quiet and peaceful. - Home is on a secure golf estate and the security is good enough for us to leave the house empty for about 8 months of every year without any worries...... A lot depends on where and what you buy. I wouldn't buy a farm here though.

[quote=carmicle]Good info on S.Africa do you have any suggestion for Botswana as far as a place to relocate from the States.




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