South Africa roadtrip: Zuma heartland

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By Alexis Akwagyiram BBC News, KwaZulu-Natal

On the streets of the South African port city of Durban, one face is ubiquitous - and it belongs to Jacob Zuma.

Lamp-posts, walls and trees are covered in posters for the African National Congress (ANC), which bear his image.

Perhaps this is unsurprising since this province, KwaZulu-Natal, is where the man most likely to become South Africa's next president hails from. He is from Nkandla, in the north of the region.

The IFP is about morality and discipline IFP councillor Mntomuhle Khawula <a class="" href="https://twitter.com/BBC_News_Africa"> BBC News Africa's Twitter </a>

Away from the metropolitan hustle and bustle of Durban, allegiances seem to differ slightly in the rural parts of KwaZulu-Natal. These are areas where the Zulu kingdom's historical dominance has the potential to be influential.

On Wednesday, a 90-minute drive south of Durban, off the motorway and at the end of a winding dirt track carved into rolling green hills, the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) held the first of three provincial rallies in a day.

Party leader Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi told nearly 500 supporters the forthcoming elections would be a "two-horse race" with the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa's most populous province.

During a speech which he started in English before switching to Zulu, the leader said his party brought a "message of change" and urged his supporters to "show the ANC that South Africa is tired of their broken promises".

"So many of our people are without jobs or opportunities," he said, accusing the country's ruling party of presiding over "15 years of failure" - much of it, he claimed, was due to corruption.

Chief Buthelezi is the elder statesman of South African politics

At 80, Chief Buthelezi is the elder statesman of South African politics.

He told the BBC the country had "unfinished business" since the end of apartheid, claiming levels of poverty in the country were becoming worse.

"The freedom we have is meaningless… we didn't struggle to be free so that we starved."

Maqongo, where the rally was held, is in the rural area of Inchanga. It is a place where young children gather to wave at passing cars and some locals utter few English words.

Speaking to grassroots IFP activists, it soon became clear that their aims were modest.

'No clouds'

Given the huge support enjoyed by the ANC in Mr Zuma's home province, many said their primary motivation for backing the party was grounded in ideals, rather than a desire for power.

The crowd responded to Mr Zuma's call-and-response chants

Mntomuhle Khawula, 46, who represents the IFP as a councillor in Port Shepstone, typified this attitude, arguing that his party leader has "integrity" because his values have not changed over his long political career.

"The IFP is about morality and discipline. We also believe in unity and diversity - people should be free to express their cultural backgrounds but also be South Africans," said the father-of-three.

But what of the party's chances against the ANC? This question caused him to furrow his brow and pause for thought.

"I believe we'll win this province," he said, before adding, pragmatically: "We're working towards reducing the power of the ANC. We believe we can form a coalition government because of the birth of Cope - they're eating into the ANC's support, which is good for us."

His ambitions appear to be modest for a reason.

The depth of support for Mr Zuma and the ANC in general was clear for all to see at a rally held opposite the Durban High Court, where corruption charges against him were formally dropped.

I like Jacob Zuma very much. He is not well educated but he has a gift for politics Security guard Tom Lawson

Well over 1,000 people laughed and cheered during his hour-long speech, which was conducted entirely in Zulu.

They danced along with him during the renditions of his trademark apartheid-era song Umshini wami (Bring me my machine gun) and responded as one to his call-and-response chants.

At a press conference held before the rally, Mr Zuma said the allegations of corruption that had followed him for eight years would not affect the public's confidence in him if he becomes South Africa's president after national and provincial elections later this month.

When asked whether he was concerned that a "cloud" of suspicion would follow him throughout his political career, Mr Zuma said "there is no cloud".

"There was never a cloud. There were allegations that I was ready to deal with in court," he said, stressing that "allegations cannot be a conviction".

"I have been vindicated and that is what is important," said Mr Zuma, who has always maintained his innocence.

Bidding war

The crowd that came to see Mr Zuma speak suggests he and the ANC remain extremely popular.

The party has also made efforts to woo the province's large Asian population, who are largely descended from 19th century Indian immigrants, with a poster that claims Ghandi would have voted for them.

Mr Zuma's appeal is not limited to members of the working class

The people of Durban largely seem to back the ANC and its leader.

The sentiments of 27-year-old security guard, and ANC supporter, Tom Lawson reflect those expressed by many in the city.

"The ANC are about improving people's lives and creating jobs. They want to free people from the chains of poverty," he said.

"I like Jacob Zuma very much. He is not well educated but he has a gift for politics. He is one of us and he can understand our problems."

And his appeal is not limited to members of the working class.

If you were to take a razor and cut my skin, you'll get three colours, which are the ANC colours - the black, green and gold which makes our blood circulate Businessman Godfrey Mavundla

At an ANC gala fundraising event, members of Durban's business fraternity entered a bidding war for paintings of Mr Zuma.

Businessman Godfrey Mavundla paid 500,000 rand ($54,000) for one of the works of art, explaining that his love for the party made the financial commitment worthwhile.

"If you were to take a razor and cut my skin, you'll get three colours, which are the ANC colours - the black, green and gold which makes our blood circulate."

Despite Mr Zuma's ability to simultaneously be seen as a man of the people and attract rich supporters, could the IFP be right to argue that, in this province, his party could be defeated?