Zuma has also faced criticism over his sexual activity, having been put on trial on charges of raping a family friend, and acquitted, in 2006. He also once claimed that taking a shower after having sex with an HIV-positive woman would protect him from AIDS, a comment that drew widespread criticism.
He and the ANC also have been criticized for strikes that overtook the nation, particularly in the mining sector, and the handling of violence at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana in August where police shot dead 34 strikers. The Lonmin strike sparked labor unrest at other mines. Ramaphosa is a non-executive director at Lonmin, raising questions about how his wide business interests will affect the government.
After the lights fade from Mangaung, however, Zuma will find himself back in the same position he was before. South Africa's economy remains anemic and the continent's top economy has seen credit downgrades. Meanwhile, the same black citizens the ANC promised to liberate find themselves crushed by the same poverty.
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Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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