South African President Jacob Zuma was elected for a second five-year term by parliament on Wednesday, as radical lawmakers shook up the normally staid proceedings. An attempt by the opposition to have Zuma declared unfit for office because of alleged graft that was deemed to be in conflict with the constitution was brushed aside and he was elected unopposed.
Zuma, who heads liberation leader Nelson Mandela's African National Congress (ANC), had seen his personal image battered by a scandal over the spending of some $23 million dollars (17 million euros) of state funds on his rural home. But he was assured of a second term by the ANC-dominated parliament, which swept to power in elections earlier this month. He is due to be sworn in on Saturday.