May 9th, 2009 The Beloved New President of South Africa
The newly elected president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, has stepped into office today, and is faced with many challenges. Almost 25 percent of the people in South Africa are unemployed and more than one thousand people a day are dying of AIDS. Zuma has made the promise to the people of his country, of increasing housing and the number of health clinics. He has also promised to solve the dilemma concerning the absence for many, of electricity and indoor plumbing. While acknowledging the current global economic crisis, he assured the people that South Africa’s economy is strong, and the government and local businesses such as the best Cape Town restaurants and market owners will continue to work on creating more jobs for those who need and want them.
His inauguration ceremony held today was a celebration. Zuma has almost gained the popularity of former president Nelson Mandela. Helicopters and planes flew over the ceremony with the South African flag trailing behind, bands played, cannons were fired. The thousands and thousands of people in attendance spontaneously broke into song as Zuma took the stage. When Zuma addressed Mandela, he bowed to his knees in a show of respect for the former, very well-loved, president.
Zuma himself, is respected by his peers, as a man who is very down to earth and is sincerely concerned with the well being of the country that he is now leading. Zuma comes from a modest background, growing up farming in Zulu. His father, who died when Zuma was a young boy, worked for many years as a police officer. He was raised by a single mother and never completed formal education as he went to work to help support the family at the age of 15. Later on he served time in the Robben Island jail, along with Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid. He spent fifteen years in exile in Zambia and Mozambique when released from prison. Zuma is a leader of his people, because he is actually one of them.
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