Man of the People

In all likelihood, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, a populist leader who never went to school, will become the next president of South Africa, following the elections on Wednesday.

Barely four years ago, Zuma's political career looked as it was over, as he battled charges of rape and corruption. A judge dismissed the charges in 2008 but an appeals court later ruled the charges could be resurrected.

Earlier this month, the National Prosecution Authority threw out the case after finding phone-tap evidence suggesting there had been political interference in the investigation.

Born in 1942 and brought up by his widowed mother in Zululand, Zuma 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.

A charismatic leader, Zuma regales the masses at his rallies with a spirited rendering of Umshini Wami (Bring Me My Machine Gun), his apartheid-era song.

He instinctively connects with the masses, and is seen as being down to earth unlike his political rival, the aloof former president Thabo Mbeki.

His victory over 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".

Zuma also enjoys strong support among trade unionists and the communist party - an ally of the ruling African National Congress - as they believe he will redistribute South Africa's wealth in favour of the poor.