Zuma, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa

Zuma, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa, 1942–, South African political leader, b. Indkandla, Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal) prov. Zuma received no formal schooling and joined the African National Congress when he was 17, becoming active in the party's military wing in 1962. Convicted of conspiring to overthrow the country's government, he served 10 years in prison (1963–73), then went into exile. Zuma became a member of the ANC's executive committee (1977–1984) and returned to South Africa when the ban against the party was lifted in 1990. An Zulu, he mediated between the ANC and the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom party during violent clashes among supporters of the two groups in the early 1990s. Zuma served as deputy president of South Africa (1999–2005), but was dismissed by President Thabo Mbeki when he was implicated in a corruption case. He subsequently was charged with rape (and acquitted) and graft (the case was dismissed for technical reasons). With the support of left-leaning trade unions and poorer black South Africans, Zuma defeated Mbeki for the chairmanship of the ANC in 2007. In Dec., 2007, prosecutors again indicted him on corruption charges.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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