Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma was born on April 12, 1942. He is now the President of South Africa – elected by the majority ANC in Parliament after the 2009 general elections. He is also president of the African National Congress, the ruling political party. He served as Thabo Mbeki's vice-president from 1999 to 2005. He is also recognized by his initials JZ and the clan name Msholozi. He became president of the ANC on December 18, 2007 after defeating incumbent President Thabo Mbeki. Zuma was a member of the South African Communist Party and even served on the Politburo – the executive decision-making body – in the 1960s. He was accused of rape in 2005 and acquitted. He has fought several legal battles over racketeering and corruption charges brought by the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority). Zuma was born in Nkandla, Zululand, now part of KwaZulu-Natal. He was orphaned at a very young age. His father was a police officer and his mother a domestic worker. Zuma received no formal schooling as a young boy. He spent most of his childhood doing nothing, moving around the suburbs in and around Zululand. His childhood was deprived, as he grew up in poverty. He became involved in politics early on – joining the ANC in 1959. When the ANC was banned in 1961, he joined the ANC's armed wing, "Umkhonto we Sizwe", or MK in 1962 – translated as “The Spear of the Nation”. He fought against apartheid with other notable ANC leaders, including Nelson Mandela, using guerrilla warfare and terrorism. They attacked government installations, leading to the group being classified as a terrorist organization by the South African and US governments – and subsequently banned. Mandela and the leaders of the ANC were all members of the military wing [MK]. MK suspended operations in 1990, in anticipation of ...... middle of paper ...... fanning the drums of Africanism and celebrating its own culture without offending many people. He did not bend to the wishes of any particular group in order to maintain his moderate nature. What we Africans can learn from Zuma is not to be ashamed of our culture. Zuma has proven that one can proudly be Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba and still lead a modern country through the challenges of the 21st century. Works Cited “Jacob Zuma”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, February 20, 2011. Web. February 22, 2011. “Soweto Uprising.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. February 13, 2011. The web. February 22, 2011. "BBC News - Profile: South African President Jacob Zuma." BBC News - Home. British Broadcast Corporation: BBC, March 1, 2010. Web. February 22. 2011. .