Presidential Inauguration 9 May 2009: Souvenir edition

SOUVENIR EDITION

An Avusa Media production, produced on behalf of the government

RAIN did not stop South Africans from turning up intheir thousands to see Jacob Zuma inaugurated asthe new President of South Africa, and they eruptedas he took the stage to be sworn in.

A multitude gathered on the lawns of the Union Buildingsfrom the early hours of Saturday morning and the rain didnot dampen the joyous mood.

Young and old danced and sang to the music of a numberof bands for hours through a huge downpour, with theweather clearing only minutes before the official eventbegan.

Entrepreneurs sold chips, sweets, cigarettes and ANCparaphernalia, while a Nando’s stall gave away free meals,flags and sun shades.

On the lawns, a large delegation of bearded and black-suited elders from the Bantu Church of Christ gathered earlyin the morning ahead of the inauguration. They had comefrom the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The elders, who have come to all of the post-1994inaugurations, stood among the crowds while their leader,Bishop John Bolana, sat among the dignitaries above.

Thabo Kgasago, 36, a security guard and communityworker, brandished a machine gun he had made from wood,which was plastered with Zuma stickers.

He also wore an Mqele — a crown representing the Ndebeleroyal family Makhosonke II, made from Springbok skin.

Ourn at i o n ’sspiritsoars

The highlight wasthe aerial display,with the crowdloudly cheeringevery helicopter

and aircraft

He had come all the way from Mpumalanga to welcomeZuma. “We are from the same bloodline,” he said.

The crowds showed their delight as the newly inauguratedPresident took to the podium to address them.

The atmosphere was marked with the blowing ofvuvuzelas, ululations, loud singing and general cheeringand clapping as the crowd welcomed their new President.

Winnie Dube, 50, came from Durban and said that whileshe had not attended previous inaugurations, she hadspecially come to this one and wore her traditional dress “fo rmy Zulu boy”.

Rafael Magwaza, a 59 year-old sculptor, said he lived inEshowe next to Zuma.

“He is my neighbour. I visited him before he becamepresident of the ANC,” he said proudly.

FROM OUR BLUE HEAVENS: South African Airways aircraft pass over the Union Buildings afterPresident Jacob Zuma’s inauguration in Pretoria yesterday. Thousands flocked to attend theceremony as Zuma became leader of Africa’s economic powerhouseContinued Page 3

THEY CAME INTHEIR THOUSANDS

2 Presidential Inauguration

An excited Latifa Tybosch, 4,from Centurion, said she was veryhappy to be there. She said she wasgoing to tell all her friends she hadbeen to see President Zuma.

Students Raymond Mathebulaand Gift Baloyi said they had comebecause they were hoping the newadministration would give technol-ogy and financial help to engineer-ing students.

After Zuma made his pledge,hundreds of vuvuzelas were blownon the lawns, while women ululatedand danced and people waved flagsand umbrellas.

The highlight was an aerial dis-play, with the crowd cheering loud-ly for every helicopter and aircraftthat flew past and for the 21-gunsalute.

With each blast of salute echoingover the capital city, the c r owd s ’elation grew and the grass, moistfrom the earlier rains, vibrated.

Mumsy Nhlapo smiled broadlyas she held her hands up to sky, asif to touch one of the planes passingove r h e a d .

When Zuma came down to thelawns after the ceremony, the noisewas deafening.

He told the crowd that they hadgone out, campaigned and voted intheir numbers, thereby emphasis-ing the need for South Africans tolive by democratic rule. He toldthem all that he would visit them intheir provinces.

On the streets, people dancedand held up posters of their newPresident. Motorists hooted andthere was a general feeling of cel-ebration and national pride in theair.

When President Zuma camedown to the lawns below, after theceremony, the noise was deafening.He told the crowd that they wentout, campaigned and voted in theirnumbers, thereby emphasising theneed for South Africans to live bydemocratic rule.

RAINBOW NATION: Thousands of South Africans revelled in the sunshine after the rain to watch President Jacob Zuma’s inauguration Picture: GCIS

MAN OF THE PEOPLE: Jacob Zuma addresses the crowd at the Union Buildings in Pretoria Picture: GCIS

From Page 2

NOT discouraged by the dull,cloudy and chilly weather, thou-sands of people converged on Dur-ban’s City Hall to watch, via satel-lite on a big screen, their local hero,Jacob Zuma, being inaugurated.

Many wore the trademark ye l -low-and-black T-shirts bearing MrZuma’s face.

Sihle Mthembu said that when hewoke up on Saturday morning andfelt the cold, he decided that hewo u l d n ’t let the weather preventhim from joining the crowds flock-ing to the City Hall.

“I could have stayed at home and

watched the inauguration on thetelevision, but I wanted to join oth-er people and celebrate,” saidMthembu.

Another excited resident, Sin-disiwe Zikode, added: “I would notmiss the Msholozi’s inaugurationfor anything. I am here to see thelocal man being given the biggestposition in the country.

“Now we as the people from therural areas can be proud of our-s e lve s .

“Most of all, we are pleased to seeZuma as the president of this coun-try,” she added.

RESIDENTS of Miga village, nearMafikeng in North West, g at h e r e dat their community hall on Sat-urday to watch the live televisionbroadcast of Jacob Zuma’s i n au -g u r at i o n .

Undeterred by the cold, youngand old sang and danced to markthe occasion.

Lebogang Mothibi, 26, said hewas excited and looking forward tothe post-inauguration c e l e b r at i o n s .

“I am here in this hall to watchthe event as it happens at the UnionBuildings,” he added.

“This event will be very exciting

from beginning to end so I do notwant to miss any of it.”

Another resident, Pako Lekone,33, arrived early to get a good seat.“I came here early and cancelled allmy other appointments today. Iwanted to make sure that I do notmiss anything that happens at theUnion Buildings.”

Molebogeng Phiri, 38, who ar-rived with her family and friends atthe community hall for the broad-cast, said she was especiallyinterested in seeing who MrZuma’s guests were and what theywould be wearing.

We are here to celebrate Villagers glued to the screen

Presidential Inauguration 3


THE inauguration of Pres-ident Jacob Gedleyihle-kisa Zuma ushers inSouth Africa’s fourth

democratically elected govern-ment. It is poised to serve the na-tion by implementing a mandatewon in an election that was strong-ly contested with strong participa-tion across South African society.

President Zuma takes the helmof a country that faces significantchallenges, but a country that canalso take pride in what it hasachieved since the attainment ofdemocracy. When the Indepen-dent Electoral Commission con-firmed the results of the election,Jacob Zuma, acknowledging theresponsibilities placed on hisshoulders as the leader of theANC, called for a new resolvebased on selflessness and com-mitment to accelerate transfor-mation and improve the quality oflife of all South Africans:

“We are very grateful and hum-bled by the decisive mandate wehave received from millions ofSouth Africans . . . They were at-tracted by our policies and thedelivery of services in the past 15years, as a well as the track recordof this movement in working tobuild a better South Africa since1912. We do not take the mandatelightly. We know the responsi-bility that comes with it.

“The new President of the Re-public will be a President for all,and he will work to unite thecountry around a programme ofaction that will see an improve-

ment of the delivery of services.Working together we will makeit a government for all SouthAfricans” — April 25 2009.

In the past 15 years, much hasbeen achieved to unite the nation,improve social and economic con-ditions, and enable South Africa

to play its part on the interna-tional stage as a country helpingto represent the interests of thedeveloping world, and as a cam-

paigner for a more equitable sys-tem of international governance.

Nevertheless there is more tobe done. Our shared goals fordevelopment and equity will stilltake time to achieve in full. Newchallenges have arisen, not leastfrom the world’s economic crisis.

Against this backdrop, Presi-dent Zuma will lead a dedicatedteam of government leaders man-dated to work together with allsectors of society to implementprogrammes that prioritise eco-nomic growth and job creation;rural development; education; abetter functioning health system;and to intensify the fight againstpoverty and crime.

This administration will ensurethat South Africa continues topursue an equitable system ofinternational governance thatfavours regional and continentalintegration and development.

Collectively, members of thenew government have spent mostof their lives immersed first in thestruggle for freedom, and then inthe building of a free, non-racialand non-sexist democratic SouthAfrica, guided by a Constitutionthat respects the human rights ofall, building on the 15 years of ademocratic government commit-ted to creating a better life for all.

In the next five years, Mr Zumawill lead a team that combinesexperience with a new energy, inthe context of a renewed mandateto continue uniting the nation andto transform the inequalitiesimbedded over many years ofcolonialism and apartheid.

FIFTEEN years into a maturing democracy,South Africa once again held free and fairelections, in which millions of South Africanscast their votes for a new government.

A total of 23 million people were registered on thevo t e r s ’ roll — the highest recorded number sincethe national common voters’ roll was compiled forthe elections in 1999. According to the IndependentElectoral Commission, just over 77% of these voterscast their votes on April 22, of which nearly 2.5 mil-lion people between the ages of 18 and 30 r e g i st e r e dto vote for the first time. More than 80 000 ex-patriates living abroad were also allowed to vote forthe first time in 15 years.

When the counting of votes ended and the officialresults of the general election were made known,the process of forming a new parliament — com-prising the National Assembly and the NationalCouncil of Provinces (NCOP) — commenced.

The first meeting of the National Assembly onMay 6, presided over by Chief Justice and head ofthe Constitutional Court Pius Langa, marked theswearing-in of the members and culminated in theelections of the President of the country and theSpeaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament.

The National Assembly is made up of 400 mem-bers. The number of seats given to each party isdetermined by the number of votes the partyreceived in the general elections.

South Africa’s nine provinces also swore in theirpremiers on the same day.

On May 7, Chief Justice Langa presided over theswearing in of the 90 members of the NCOP. TheNCOP represents the provinces to ensure that theirinterests are taken into account in the nationalsphere of government.

The NCOP elected its chairperson and deputychairperson during its first session.

The inauguration of President Jacob Zuma marksthe culmination of detailed and transparent demo-cratic processes that have been put in place toensure that integrity and fairness prevail and thatthe will of the people is given expression.

As part of these processes, President Zuma willannounce his Cabinet today. From there on, thenation and the world await the first joint sitting ofthe National Assembly and NCOP on June 3, whenPresident Zuma will deliver his first State of theNation Address.

The traditional debate on his address will be heldon June 4, and his reply to the debate will take placethe following day.

President of South AfricaJacob Gedleyihlekisa ZumaSpeaker of Parliament Max Vuyisile SisuluDeputy Speaker Nomaindia Mfeketo

National Council of ProvincesChairperson Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu

Provincial PremiersEastern Cape Noxolo KivietFree State Ace MagashuleGauteng Nomvula MokonyaneKwaZulu-Natal Dr Zweli MkhizeLimpopo Cassel MathaleMpumalanga David MabuzaNorth West Maureen ModiselleNorthern Cape Hazel JenkinsWestern Cape Helen Zille

Ourdemocrac yin action

National Assembly

NOMAINDIA MFEKETO

MNINWA JOHANNES MAHLANGU MAX VUYISILE SISULU

President of South Africa JACOB GEDLEYIHLEKISA ZUMA


Lessons of struggle sacrificeI

N HIS leadership, PresidentJacob Zuma reflects theresilience of his origins and hispersistent successes against

the odds.Born in the impoverished rural

hinterlands, with no formal edu-cation and raised by a single parentafter the death of his father whenhe was just five years old, he grewup under the guardianship of hisgrandparents. Like his peers, hehad to herd cattle and fight withsticks. His circumstances prevent-ed him from attending school.

At the age of 17 he moved toDurban to take up employment.Given his experience of poverty andexposure to oppression, he iden-tified the need to fight theoppressive system of apartheid andjoined the ANC in 1959.

Three years after joining the

ANC he became an active memberof Umkhonto we Sizwe, the ANC’smilitary wing. He was among agroup of 45 arrested en route toANC camps in exile. He was sen-tenced to 10 years in prison, wherehe spent time with Nelson Mandela,Govan Mbeki and Harry Gwala.

These extraordinary leadersmade a great impression on himand, on his release, he becameinstrumental in establishing inter-nal structures of the ANC in Natalbetween 1973 and 1975.

He left the country in 1975 andspent 12 years in exile. He operatedat the reception points for youngpeople going into exile in Swazilandand Mozambique after 1976. He wasappointed to the National Exec-utive Committee of the ANC in 1977,and he also served both as deputyChief Representative and later

Chief Representative of the ANC inMozambique.

In 1987 he moved to the ANC’sHeadquarters in Lusaka, where hebecame Head of Underground

Structures and later Chief of theIntelligence Department. He alsoserved on the ANC’s Political andMilitary Council in the mid-1980s.

After the unbanning of the lib-eration movements in 1990, JacobZuma was among the first ANCleaders to return to South Africa inpreparation for the repatriation ofexiled combatants. He was involvedin the first formal interactionbetween the National Party gov-ernment and the ANC, which led tothe Groote Schuur Minute in May1990, marking the beginning of for-mal negotiations.

He was elected the Chairpersonof the Southern Natal Region of theparty and played a critical lead-ership role in resolving violencebetween ANC and IFP supportersin the province.

At the first internal conference of

the ANC, Mr Zuma was electedDeputy Secretary General. Heserved in the KwaZulu-Natalprovincial government as MEC forEconomic Affairs and Tourism. Hewas subsequently elected Nat i o n a lChairperson of the ANC andprovincial Chairperson in KZN. In1997 he was elected Deputy Pres-ident of the ANC.

On June 18 1999, he was ap-pointed Deputy President of SouthAfrica.

On 18 December 2007 he waselected President of the ANC in theelective conference in Polokwane.It was in this capacity that he ledthe party’s 2009 fourth democraticgeneral elections campaign. Underhis stewardship and leadership, theparty won a decisive majority andretained its leadership in govern-ing South Africa.

EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS: President Zuma has learned from the country’s greatest leaders, such as Nelson Mandela (top and bottom left) and Oliver Tambo (bottom right) PICTURE: PictureNet

Mypromiseto thenation

PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA’S INAUGURATION SPEECH

ON this day, a decade-and-a-half ago, Nelson Rolih-lahla Mandela was for-mally elected as the first

president of a democratic SouthAfrica.

At that moment a new nation wasborn, a nation founded on the fun-damental principles of human dig-nity and equal rights for all.

A nation founded on the promisethat “never, never and never again”would this land experience the op-pression of one by another.

Today, a decade-and-a-half later,we gather here to reaffirm thepromise of that great day.

We gather here determined torenew that most solemn under-taking, to build a society in whichall people are freed from the shack-les of discrimination, exploitation,want and disease.

We gather here determined thatthe struggles and sacrifices of ourpeople over many decades shall notbe in vain.

Instead, they shall inspire us tocomplete the task for which somuch blood was shed, and so muchhardship endured.

This is a moment of renewal.When Madiba took the oath of

office on the 10th of May 1994, itwas one of the greatest historicmoments of our country, Africaand the African diaspora.

Madiba healed our wounds andestablished the rainbow nationvery firmly.

He set us on the path of nationbuilding and prosperity and madeus a respected member of the worldcommunity of nations.

He taught us that all SouthAfricans have equal claim to thiscountry, and that there can be nolasting peace unless all of us, blackand white, learned to live togetherin harmony and peace.

He made reconciliation the cen-tral theme of his term of office.

We will not deviate from thatnation-building task. Thank youMadiba, for showing us the way.

I would also like to acknowledgethe former second deputy pres-ident of the democratic republic,the honourable FW de Klerk, whoworked with Madiba in the res-olution of the apartheid conflict,and participated in shaping a newSouth Africa.

Your excellencies, ladies andgentlemen, in June 1999, formerPresident Thabo Mbeki came tothis very podium to take the oath ofoffice, as the second president of

the republic. He took the countryforward as a true statesman.

He made a remarkable contri-bution towards strengthening ourdemocracy, and laid a firm foun-dation for economic growth andd eve l op m e n t .

He made our country an integralpart of the continent and workedtirelessly for an African rebirth.Through his leadership, South

Africa’s stature grew on the con-tinent and globally.

In his last address to the nationas head of state in September lastyear, he demonstrated his patri-otism and put the interests of thecountry above his personal inter-e st s .

Thank you Zizi for demonstrat-ing a character that the ANC hadalways embodied since 1912.

Your excellencies, ladies andgentleman, the nation is equallyindebted to my friend, comrade andbrother, President Kgalema Mot-lanthe.

He came into office during aperiod of great anxiety, andbrought about calm, stability andc e r t a i n ty .

He has led us in a very capablemanner and the transition has

become remarkably smooth andwell managed.

On behalf of the nation, let meexpress our sincerest gratitude toPresident Motlanthe for patrioticservice to the nation. Motlanthe!Bakone! Mmadiboka, seboka, dik-gomo lebatho!

Today, as I take this solemn oathof office as the fourth President ofthe Republic of South Africa, I do so

SWEARING IN: Jacob Zuma takes the oath of office as President of South Africa, watched by Chief Justice Pius Langa


book with copy at bottom

BOOK OF WORDS: The Bible on which South Africa’s fourth democratic president took his oath

deeply conscious of the responsibilities that you, the people ofour country, are entrusting in me.

I commit myself to the service of our nation withdedication, commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work andpassion.

There is a lot to be done. More than 11.6 million SouthAfricans voted for the ANC, based on the programme putbefore them.

We are now called upon to implement our manifesto. Thedreams and hopes of all the people of our country must befulfilled. There is no place for complacency, no place forcynicism, no place for excuses.

Everything we do must contribute in a direct and mean-ingful way to the improvement of the lives of our people.

Your majesties, your royal highnesses, your excellencies,we make a commitment here and now, before the eyes of theworld, that:ý For as long as there are South Africans who die from

preventable disease;ý For as long as there are workers who struggle to feed their

families;ý For as long as there are communities without clean water,

decent shelter or proper sanitation;ý For as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a

decent living from the land on which they live;ý For as long as there are women who are subjected to

discrimination, exploitation or abuse;ý For as long as there are children who do not have the means

nor the opportunity to receive a decent education;ý For as long as there are people who are unable to find

wo r k ,We shall not rest, and we dare not falter.As we apply ourselves to these and other tasks, we must

acknowledge that we find ourselves in difficult economictimes. Jobs are being lost in every economy across the world.We will not be spared the negative impact, and are beginningto feel the pinch.

However, the foundations of our economy are strong andwe will need to continue to build on them. This will requiremore hard work than ever before.

To achieve all our goals, we must hold ourselves to thehighest standards of service, probity and integrity.

Together we must build a society that prizes excellence andrewards effort, which shuns laziness and incompetence.

We must build a society that draws on the capabilities,energy and promise of all its people.

Fellow South Africans, this is indeed a moment ofr e n ewa l .

It is an opportunity to rediscover that which binds ustogether as a nation.

The unity of our nation should be a priority for all sectors ofour society.

We are a people of vastly different experiences, ofdivergent interests, with widely different views.

Yet we share a common desire for a better life, and to live inpeace and harmony.

We share a common conviction that never shall we returnto a time of division and strife.

From this common purpose we must forge a partnershipfor reconstruction, development and progress.

In this partnership there is a place for all South Africans,black and white.

It is a partnership founded on principles of mutual respectand the unfettered expression of different views.

We do not seek conformity.We seek a vibrant, dynamic partnership that is enriched by

democratic debate that values diverse views and accom-modates dissent.

Therefore, we need to make real the fundamental right ofall South Africans to freely express themselves, to protest, toorganise, and to practise their faith.

We must defend the freedom of the media, as we seek topromote within it a greater diversity of voices and per-sp e c t ive s .

We must deepen the practice of participatory democracy inall spheres of public life.

We must strengthen the democratic institutions of state,and continually enhance their capacity to serve the people.

We must safeguard the independence and integrity ofthose institutions tasked with the defence of democracy, andthat must act as a check on the abuse of power.

Compatriots, today we enter a new era in the history of ournation, imbued with a resolve to do everything within ourmeans to build a better life for all our people.

Today, we renew our struggle to forge a nation that is atpeace with itself and the world.

As we rejoice in being surrounded by our friends from allover the world, we reiterate our gratitude for the sterlingcontribution of the international community to our strugglefor freedom.

We single out the African continent, for refusing to restuntil the southern tip of Africa was free.

We recommit ourselves to continue to be an active memberof the international community.

We will continue to use multilateral and bilateral forumsand relations to take forward the goals of eradicating globalpoverty, strengthening peace and security and to promoted e m o c r a cy .

We will promote international friendship and co-operationthrough, amongst others, the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

South Africa will deliver a world-class event that willforever change the perceptions of the internationalcommunity, and also ensure a lasting legacy for the people ofAfrica.

Fellow South Africans, let us move forward decisively,together.

Let us build a nation that remains forever mindful of itshistory, of those who have sacrificed so much, and the manywho put down their lives so we can be here today.

A nation filled with the laughter and joy of children.A nation filled with a hope born of the knowledge that if we

work together, we will achieve our dreams.Your majesties, your royal highnesses, your excellencies,

distinguished guests, thank you for gracing this occasiont o d ay .


FINISHING TOUCHES: Jacob Zuma checks his speech (left) and puts on his jacket before leaving for his inauguration at the Union Buildings Pictures: GCIS

FINAL STEP: Jacob Zuma arrives on the podium with his first wife, Zizakele ‘MaKhumalo’ Zuma

LIVING LEGACY: South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela (left)


NATIONAL Orders are the highestawards that a country, through itsPresident, bestows on its citizensand eminent foreign nationals.

As part of Saturday’s i n au g u -ration, outgoing President Kgale-ma Motlanthe presented PresidentJacob Zuma with the Order of Ma-pungubwe (Platinum). This order isawarded to South Africans fo rexcellence and exceptional achieve-ment.

By becoming the Grand Patron ofthe National Orders, President Zu-ma will present National Orderstwice a year at prestigious cer-emonies at the Union Buildings.

Other national orders of SouthAfrica include:

ý Order of the Baobab, which isawarded to South African citizensfor distinguished service in thefields of business and the economy;science, medicine and technolog-ical innovation; and communityservice;

ý Order of the Companions of ORTambo, which is awarded to headsof state and other dignitaries for

promoting peace, co-operation andfriendship towards South Africa;

ý Order of Luthuli, which isawarded to South Africans whohave made a meaningful contri-bution to the struggle for democ-racy, human rights, nation-build-ing, justice and peace, and conflictresolution;

ý Order of Ikhamanga, which isawarded to South African citizenswho have excelled in the fields ofarts, culture, literature, music,journalism and sport; and

ý Order of Mendi for Bravery,which is awarded to South Africancitizens who have performedextraordinary acts of bravery.

The Mapungubwe kingdom ex-isted in the northern corner of ourcountry a millennium ago. It boast-ed a sophisticated state system anddeveloped agriculture.

It also developed a mining andmetallurgy industry, and tradedwith countries as far afield as Chi-na. During its time, it representedexcellence of human thought andi n g e n u i ty .

HIGHEST HONOUR: Outgoing president Kgalema Motlanthe bestows the Order of Mapungubwe (Platinum) on President JacobZuma Pictures: GCIS

Highest award for our new President

CENTRE STAGE: Jacob Zuma and his wife Zizakele

I SEE YOU, BABA: Jacob Zuma greets former president Nelson Mandela

GOODBYE: Outgoing President Kgalema Motlanthe ALL THE BEST: Former President Thabo Mbeki wishes Jacob Zuma well Pictures: GCIS


6:00 onward Invited guests arrive at the Union Buildings10:00 President-elect Jacob Zuma, leaves his home for theUnion Buildings9:30 to 11:00 Heads of state/government, foreign delegations, President Kgalema Mot-lantheand Zuma arrive at the Union Buildings11:00 Inauguration ceremony commencesý Prayers by religious leadersý President Motlanthe bestows the Order of Mapungubwe on

Zumaý Swearing-in of Zumaý The Chief Justice administers the prescribed oathý Zuma reads the oathý Zuma confirms the oath by signing the ceremonial

c e r t i f i c at eý President Zuma acknowledges the national saluteý President Zuma addresses the nationý Performance of a congratulatory item13:00 President Zuma and his wife host a lunch in honourof heads of state/government18:00 onward President Zuma, heads of state/government andother guests attend a cultural event at Montecasino

ORDER OF THE DAY

CELEBRATING THE NATION: VIP guests at the Union Buildings cheer as helicopters carry South African flags overhead Pictures: GCIS

BECOMING PRESIDENT: Jacob Zuma takes the oath SINGING HIS PRAISES: A praise singer honours the new president

MEET AND GREET: B ot swa n a ’s leader Ian Khama, left, greets Manto Tshabalala-Msimang



HONOURING THEIR PRESIDENT: Crowds of thousands converged in front of the Union Buildings to witness the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma

PURE JOY: A young South African shows his approval of President Jacob Zuma RHYTHM NATION: Dancers celebrate the inauguration

RESPECT: Special guests from across the world watch the procedures at the Union Buildings FINALLY: President Jacob Zuma waves to the crowd Pictures: GCIS

DIGNITARIES from around theworld came to the Union Buildingsto celebrate President Jacob Zu-ma’s inauguration.

The guests included BurundiPresident Pierre Nkurunziza, Pres-ident of Cape Verde Pedro VeronaRodrigues Pires, President of Nige-ria Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Ad u aand President of Uganda YoweriM u s eve n i .

Rwandan President Paul Kagameand President of the DemocraticP e op l e ’s Republic of Korea KimYong-nam arrived on Fridayevening to witness the event.

The Department of Foreign Af-fairs said earlier this week that 29heads of state were expected to jointhe 5 000 other invited guests at theUnion Buildings amphitheatre.

Earlier on Friday, Z i m b abwe a nPresident Robert Mugabe, L i bya nleader and African Union chair-person Muammar Gaddafi and

King Mswati III of Swaziland aswell as King Letsie III of Lesothoarrived through the state protocollounge at OR Tambo InternationalAirport in Johannesburg.

The department also confirmedthe arrival of Ethiopian PresidentGirma Wolde-Giorgis, KenyanPresident Mwai Kibaki, Mozambi-can President Armando Guebuza,Namibian President HifikepunyePohamba as well as Angolan Pres-ident Eduardo dos Santos.

Other special guests includedZambian President Rupiah Banda,President of Congo BrazzavilleDenis Sassou-Nguesso, Ivory CoastPresident Laurent Gbagbo, Pres-ident of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete,President of Equatorial GuineaTheodore Nguema and President ofSeychelles James Michel.

India, the Dominican Republic,Liberia, Gabon, the Philippines andSri Lanka also sent representatives.

VIPs come out in force


GATHERING OF THE GREAT: Rwa n d a nPresident Paul Kagame, right, was amongthe 29 heads of state attending theinauguration Pictures: GCIS

OLD FRIENDS: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his wife,Grace, renew their acquaintance with Swaziland’s King Mswati III

TRADITIONAL ATTIRE: Below, President Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of Nigeria, cameto honour the president of Africa’s other powerhouse at the glittering inaugurationceremony on Saturday

SHARING A LAUGH FOR OLD TIMES: Former Zambian president KennethKaunda and Democratic Republic of Congo leader Joseph Kabila

THE SUITS AND THE UNIFORMS: Below, the leader of Libya whooccupies the chair of the African Union, Muammar Gaddafi, right, greetsSwazi King Mswati III

Documents

Presidential Inauguration 9 May 2009: Souvenir edition