Jacob Zuma

===Election as ANC president===
{{Further|52nd National Conference of the African National Congress}}
As per party tradition, Zuma was in line to succeed Mbeki as head of the party. However, by April 2007<ref name="Gevisser-2007"/><ref>Gevisser, Mark (2007). "Home". ''Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred''. Jonathan Ball. {{ISBN|978-1-86842-301-9}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Monare|first=Moshoeshoe|date=2006-06-01|title=Pipe or machinegun for ANC presidency?|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/pipe-or-machinegun-for-anc-presidency-279991|access-date=2022-01-11|website=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|IOL]]|language=en}}</ref> it was clear that Mbeki intended to run for a third term as ANC president. Even though he was prohibited by the [[Constitution of South Africa|Constitution]] from standing again for the national presidency, the ANC lacks internal term limits. Zuma gained the support of five of the nine provincial ANC branches when they nominated candidates at their provincial congresses in late 2007.<ref name="Du Toit-2017"/><ref>{{cite news|date=November 26, 2007|title=ANC rank-and-file vote for change|work=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]]|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anc-rank-and-file-vote-for-change-380207|url-status=live|access-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005190313/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20071126042958726C564967|archive-date=5 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=November 26, 2007|title=Zuma finds favour among his ANC comrades|work=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]]|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/zuma-finds-favour-among-his-anc-comrades-380161|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005190308/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20071125231051953C472153|archive-date=5 October 2008}}</ref> He became the favourite to win the presidency and became the ANC's presidential candidate in the [[2009 South African general election|2009 elections]]. While the ANC was extremely likely to win regardless of its candidate, there were reports that Zuma's support base and left-wing alliances unnerved international and domestic investors.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Russell|first=Alec|date=2007-11-30|title=Jacob Zuma|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/dc0fcb32-9f5c-11dc-8031-0000779fd2ac|access-date=2022-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=1 June 2006|title=Pipe or machinegun for ANC presidency?|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/pipe-or-machinegun-for-anc-presidency-279991|access-date=13 December 2019|work=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]]}}</ref><ref name="mcgreal2">{{cite news|last=McGreal|first=Chris|date=15 December 2007|title=South Africa in turmoil as Mbeki heads for defeat|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,,2227953,00.html}}</ref>

On 18 December 2007, at the ANC's [[52nd National Conference of the African National Congress|52nd National Conference]] in [[Polokwane|Polokwane, Limpopo]], Zuma was elected ANC president, beating Mbeki with 2,329 votes to 1,505.<ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Juanita|date=18 December 2007|title=Fireworks greet new ANC president|url=https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/fireworks-greet-new-anc-president-383189|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213111721/https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/fireworks-greet-new-anc-president-383189|archive-date=13 February 2018|work=[[Independent Online (South Africa)|Independent Online]]}}</ref>[[File:Jacob Zuma in 2008.jpg|thumb|213x213px|Zuma in June 2008]]