South African Gays Wary Of New ANC Leader

19 Dec 2007 -Cape Town, South Africa- A year after he was forced to issue an apology to gays for calling gay marriage "a disgrace", acquitted of rape and still facing corruption charges Jacob Zuma has been chosen to succeed Thabo Mbeki as leader of the African National Congress - a move that puts him on track for becoming the country's next president.

Zuma won an overwhelming victory over Mbeki at the party's national convention this week - winning 2,329 votes to 1,505. Following the vote the two 65 year old politicians appeared on stage for an embrace in a show of party unity.

Zuma was acquitted of rape last year, but he still faces bribery charges over an alleged multimillion-dollar arms deal that his supporters say is nothing more than a smear campaign.

He was removed from the deputy presidency after a court found he had had a "generally corrupt" relationship with a former aide but he remained a major force within the African National Congress.

Last year in a speech Zuma said that when he was young he would have beaten anyone who was gay.  He went on to say that gay marriage is "a disgrace to the nation and to God".

His remarks came as public hearings were being held on legislation to legalize same-sex civil marriage and grant rights to non-married gay and opposite-sex couples.

Despite his opposition the bill passed.

Demands for an apology went unanswered for two weeks, but as condemnation mounted in the mainstream press, Zuma issued a statement saying he was sorry.

"I apologize unreservedly for the pain and anger that my remarks may have caused," Zuma said at the time.

He also said that his words had been taken out of context. Zuma claimed that he had been speaking about the traditional communal way of raising children.

"I said the communal upbringing of children in the past was able to assist parents to notice children with a different social orientation. I, however, did not intend to have this interpreted as a condemnation of gays and lesbians."

His statement went on, in what was regarded as an attempt to shore up support within the ANC, to pledge his support for the Constitution which guarantees the rights of gays and lesbians.

"Our lesbian and gay compatriots are protected by the Constitution and I respect their rights, in my capacity as an individual citizen and as a member and one of the leaders of the ANC," Zuma said.

"I also respect, acknowledge and applaud the sterling contribution of many gay and lesbian compatriots in the struggle that brought about our freedom, and the role they continue to play in the building of a successful non-racial, non-discriminatory South Africa."

LGBT rights groups at the time dismissed the statement as being more political and heartfelt. They remain concerned about what a Zuma presidency would bring.

HIV/AIDS groups also are concerned, saying he is likely to be no better than Mbeki in battling the disease.

During his rape trial last year he said that he had unprotected, consensual sex with an HIV-positive woman and then took a shower in the belief it would protect him from the AIDS virus.

Mbeki frequently has questioned the link between HIV and AIDS and has disputed the value of anti-retroviral drugs.

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