All eyes are on Jacob Zuma as South Africans try to gauge where the ANC's new leader and the country's likely next president will lead the country.

But the ANC's new top leadership has already indicated that economic policies are likely to remain the same.

Tokyo Sexwale, the former premier who abandoned his presidential campaign to back Zuma, said the result was a revolution but there should not be a purge to follow.

"It (the result) was a revolution. I would however hope that there will be, as has begun, an understanding that we are one large party working together to secure a better life for all South Africans."
Last night, delegates to the party's conference in Polokwane danced on their tables and screamed with joy when it was announced he had beaten Thabo Mbeki by more than 800 votes.

Zuma received 2 329 votes against Mbeki's 1 505.

Zuma did not address the conference, nor answer journalists' questions, after it adjourned just before midnight.

South Africans will be able to get their first indications of Zuma's thinking from a briefing he is expected to give today in which he is likely to be asked about his economic policies and is controversial views on issues such as homosexuality and his attitude towards women.

The Zuma camp swept the board in the voting for the other top five positions in the party's executive.

Jacob Zuma's overwhelming victory in Polokwane last night means Thabo Mbeki is a lame duck president from Wednesday.

Sexwale said "while it was quiet clear that change was needed at the top, I believe that the same leadership that was ousted tonight will still serve the ANC and the country with distinction. I think they can become nominees for the other NEC position still to be decided. They have been diligent and some of them are heroes of government. All of those who are out are stalwarts of the organisation. By removing them it does not mean a death sentence for them they will still play an important role in government at least for the next few years", Sexwale commented.

He also had kind words for the defeated President Thabo Mbeki.

"Thabo (Mbeki) is a veteran. He is gifted, a highly intellectual leader who knows the history of the ANC. He has served us. He has been at the top for 10 years and that doesn't include the 5 years he spent as deputy president of the country and the ANC under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999."

"He is still the president of the country and it is out of order to call him a fifth columnist. It will never happen that these leaders are lost to the political wilderness.

"The ANC will not get divided because a certain faction won. Organisations get divided on issues of politics, policies, visions, philosophies and no such divisions within the ANC exist" he said.

Sexwale said he was looking forward to serving on the party's NEC and said he felt that more space was needed for debate in the party, that could lead to proper decision-making.

The highly factionalised leadership elections saw delegates voting solidly according to which camp they belonged to and today's election of a further 80 people to serve on the party's national executive committee is certain to follow a similar pattern.

Mbeki's government, which has another 18 months left in office, could be crippled and forced to account to the newly elected party leadership, many of whom do not enjoy warm relations with Mbeki's inner circle of ministers.

Mbeki recently indicated he has not ruled out an early election.

Party leaders were on Tuesday at pains to emphasise policy was unlikely to change even though most of the new leadership is strongly from the left, but observers say the situation is unlikely to be comfortable or very workable for the current cabinet and top state officials.

Zuma is certain to be the ANC's choice to become the country's next president.

After the result was announced, Zuma and Mbeki walked on to the stage together, with Mbeki smiling and with Zuma looking slightly shocked and humbled, while fireworks went off outside the Polokwane venue of the ANC's national conference.

As they approached the front of the stage, Mbeki turned to Zuma and hugged him and clasped his hand, then was led off stage.

Zuma sat down himself in the hot seat at the top-six table and it was only when he looked out into the hall, to a strobe of camera flashes, that he started to smile. - Sapa

.quoted from IOL.co.za. in good faith

Mthwakazi,

Could this be an eye-opening event for us? Can we do what these fellow brethren have done and still feel togetherness?

Kumbe sesangenwa ngumkhuhlane wamagundwane owobuhwaba? Phela igundwane lihwaba lize lihwabe notshefu.

Asivukeni Mahlabezulu sibambane ngobuThwa bethu sibe nyandanye akukho okuzasihlula kumbe kusichakaze.

Zingaki izinhlanganiso zakoMthwakazi namhla? Zonke zizimisele ukukhulula isizwe kodwa ubuningi bazo buzinika amandla na? Kumbe njalo lobo buningi butshengisa ukuchakazeka lokuchithekana kwamandla lengqondo, okulinxeba elingumnkenke ozangenisa impethu eyisitha?

Ayihlome!

Ekuhle.

Asengamhlophe zingane zeNkosi ngo JZ. Lathi lapha sigide saze sangqamula amatafula. Ayisiyo joy le esiyibona lapha.

Ngikuvumela ngingakulwisi Siphepheli, Lathi as the same people, asehlukaneni ngemibono kodwa singaxabani. Angitsho kusasa singalithatha leliya elika Mambo lo Mzilikazi, kuzamele kuvumbuluke inhlanganiso ezehlukeneyo okumele zilwise ukubusa? Loyo oyabe ewiline kumele simsekele kuze kufike olunye njalo ukheto lapho sizamkhupha khona nxa esehluleka kumbe simphinde njenge Record ka Majaivana nxa esazi ukubusa.

Amhlophe Zuma.

Yimi okaMblazi.

UMzansi Afrika uyamdinga umholi onjengo Zuma okhethwa ngabantu. Mabakuthande bakukhethe abantu ube yinkunzi ekhethwe ematholeni. Bazama behluleka bemgcona bembhica ngayo yonke imigodo lodaka. Behlulekile. Okuthusa wonke umuntu wukuthi uZuma usuke azithulele nje noma etheswa amacala angawenzanga. Bonke laba abakhuluma ngokuthi uzalibusa yini basuke bakhohlwe nje ukuthi endulo abanye bathi, "UShaka kayi kuba nkosi, kanti yikhona!!!". Talking about uShaka...he was the best military strategist who also had a great skill in innovation that led to the short stabbing spear...ensuring efficient resource use as opposed to long spears.

AmaZulu akwejwayele ukubusa kanti njalo ngabantu abanezibindi ezingaka. Isikhathi sokukhulula indawana zonke ezigoqela labo Zimbabwe sesifikile. liyaqhaqhazela ikhehla elingu Mgabe ngoba uthe UMsholozi, (isifinqo senkulumo yakhe esingacacile)"history will judge us harshly for looking away while other nations are ruled badly". Singakhohlwa njalo lokuthi oVavi abaseka uZuma bayamzonda uMgabe. Nanso ke. Ibambeni.

Ozama ukubulala uZuma uzalutheza olulenkume. Uzazokhela amalahle ekhanda. Basayithwele imikhonto. Funda incwadi ka Mthulisi Mathuthu ku NEWZIMBABWE.COM. Ikhaliphile linsizwa ngoba uthi, "UZuma ufundiswe ku African University lapho ogogo nabo khulu bengo Professor". Amen, Amen bakwethu. Alukho ulwazi oludlula ogogo nolwabo khulu. Did you know there was an African University? Ngikhule ngitshelwa ukuthi kune nkanyezi ebizwa ngokuthi "Yinja, Incelankobe, Ingulube, Umthala, isilimela....ziningi bo. Laba bantu okhokho bethu were astronomers. nanso ke. lalela uZuma uma ekhuluma. He is a "self - taught person" wena othi ufundile you know that what you know best ....yes BEST is what you taught yourself. Amen,,amen. Siyayithanda linkonyane. mayihlome

Bafowethu.

Angilawo amanengi. Thina kasibambeni ziqine ukwenzela ukuthi singasaleli nxa ITHUBA LIVULEKA.

Amhlophe baba ZUMA. Amhlophe ku ANC ebonise iTRUE DEMOCRACY. Osekufuneka yikuthi bayendlale le DEMOCRACY ingene esizweni sonke se S.A.

Li Zwangendaba.