Profile: Jacob Zuma

Jacob Zuma is a charismatic populist with top liberation struggle credentials

Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, leader of the African National Congress, has been sworn in as South Africa's next president.

Barely four years ago, his political career was all but written off when he was simultaneously battling sleazy allegations of rape and corruption - double charges which would have sunk the career of many politicians.

Mr Zuma was acquitted of rape, but the corruption case proved harder to shake off.

The 67-year-old always denied charges of money-laundering and racketeering, stemming from a controversial $5bn (£3.4bn) 1999 arms deal and had said he would resign if found guilty of wrong-doing.

A judge dismissed the charges in 2008 but an appeals court later ruled the charges could be resurrected.

The ANC said the accusations against its leader were politically motivated and insisted Mr Zuma would lead the governing party into the 2009 spring elections, even if the proceedings did continue.

School of hard knocks

In the end that was not necessary. Just weeks before April's polls, the National Prosecution Authority threw out the case after finding phone-tap evidence suggested there had been political interference in the investigation.

Mr Zuma's supporters say his charismatic popular touch is a refreshing contrast to former President Thabo Mbeki, who was seen as rather aloof.

ZUMA TIMELINE June 2005: Sacked as deputy president October 2005: Charged with corruption December 2005: Charged with rape April 2006: Acquitted of rape charges September 2006: Corruption case collapses December 2007: Elected ANC president; re-charged with corruption shortly afterwards September 2008: Judge rules corruption case cannot proceed January 2009: Prosecutors win appeal, opening the way for Zuma to be recharged 6 April 2009: Prosecutors drop charges after receiving new phone-tap evidence 22 April 2009: ANC win the election 6 May 2009: Zuma elected president by MPs 9 May 2009: Zuma sworn in as president

"He is a man who listens; he doesn't take the approach of an intellectual king," said one unnamed supporter, in an apparent swipe at Mr Mbeki.

Born in 1942 and brought up by his widowed mother in Zululand, Mr Zuma had no formal schooling.

He joined the ANC at the age of 17, becoming an active member of its military wing, Umkhonto We Sizwe, in 1962.

He was convicted of conspiring to overthrow the apartheid government and imprisoned for 10 years on the notorious Robben Island, alongside Nelson Mandela.

Mr Zuma is said to have helped keep up morale among the incarcerated ANC grandees with songs and impromptu theatre.

The Zulu traditionalist subsequently left South Africa, living first in Mozambique, then Zambia as he rose through the ANC ranks to the executive committee.

He became one of the first leaders to return home in 1990 - when the ban on the ANC was removed - to take part in negotiations with the white minority government.

He credits his political awakening to a family member who was an active trade unionist.

Man of the people

Throughout his political career, Mr Zuma, popularly known as "JZ", has honed his image as a champion of the poor and oppressed.

He enjoys strong support among trade unionists and the communist party - an ANC ally - as they believe he will redistribute South Africa's wealth in favour of the poor.

MRS JACOB ZUMA Thobeka Mabhija - third wife Nompumelelo Ntuli - married, January 2008 Sizakele Khumalo - married, 1973 Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - divorced, 1998 Kate Mantsho Zuma - died, 2000

They say Mr Mbeki was too business-friendly and had presided over "jobless growth".

But Mr Zuma has told the BBC that he would not change the ANC's economic policy.

Some fear that Mr Zuma's populism could go too far and are concerned by his habit of singing the apartheid-era anthem - "Umshini wami" (Bring Me My Machine-Gun) - at his rallies.

Like many leaders of his Zulu community, Mr Zuma is a polygamist.

He has been married at least five times.

He wed Sizakele Khumalo in 1973 and took Nompumelelo Ntuli as his wife in 2008. His most recent wife is 35-year-old Thobeka Mabhija, described by the South African media as a "Durban socialite".

Mr Zuma (l) won a bitter fight against Thabo Mbeki (r) to lead the ANC

He is divorced from Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, while Kate Mantsho Zuma died in 2000.

In 2006, Mr Zuma was acquitted of raping an HIV-positive family friend.

But his statement during the trial that he showered after unprotected sex with the woman to guard against possible infection provoked criticism and ridicule and some analysts predicted he would divide the women's vote.

But his popularity seems undiminished, especially among his fellow Zulus.

His victory over Mr Mbeki in December in 2007 to become ANC president was described on the Friends of Jacob Zuma website as having "confounded the analysts, revealing that the media and political commentators are out of touch with sentiment in the ANC".