Mandela! Mandela! Frail Hero Steals Zuma's Coronation

The long walk to freedom now has a slow and unsteady gait. Nelson Mandela, 90 years old and retired to "quiet reflection", knows his remarkable life has reached its final chapter.

Yesterday, there was an unbearable wistfulness amid the euphoria as South Africa's first black president made what may prove his last appearance on the political stage.

The guard is changing, the baton passing on. But at Johannesburg's Ellis Park, no one could doubt that it was Mandela, not Jacob Zuma, about to become the country's fourth black leader, who captivated the crowds, as the African National Congress embarked on its final electoral rally before Wednesday's vote.

Tens of thousands of supporters chanted "Mandela! Mandela!" as the pair were driven into Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium in a golf cart. All eyes centered on the frail figure sitting centre stage as the national anthem was sung. And later, in a surge of emotion, the crowd rose as one to sing, "Nelson Mandela, Nelson Mandela" with a tenderness that spoke volumes.

It certainly struck a different note from Zuma's signature tune, which he inevitably performed at the end of his speech. "Umshini Wami" is a typically martial Zulu incantation. It means "bring me my machine gun".

Once the dancing master, Mandela looked on as Zuma, 67, whipped up the crowd with some vigorous arm-pumping and hip-swiveling of his own. The men share an easy charm and charisma that eluded Mandela's successor and Zuma's rival, Thabo Mbeki, who was significantly absent yesterday.

Both also have a history of time served in Robben Island prison and, politically, swear loyalty to the ANC and their party comrades above all. But whereas Mandela emerged from injustice with a reputation approaching saintliness, Zuma is the tarnished survivor of internecine warfare within the ANC. Mandela was unable to make a speech yesterday, but his short pre-recorded video message relayed to the masses did not mention Zuma by name.

"As we strive to secure a decisive victory for our organization in the upcoming elections we must remember our primary task," Mandela said. "It is to eradicate poverty and ensure a better life for all. The ANC has the historical responsibility to lead our nation and help build a united non-racial society."

For many of the 400,000 celebrants in the stadium or the streets of the city, the day provided an unforgettable moment, full of counterpoint, irony and end of era. "It was a moment that I'll never forget in my life, especially as it might be the last chance I get to see Mandela in the flesh," said Daniel Tebogo, an unemployed 32-year-old.

"You can't compare anyone to Mandela. Jacob Zuma came under the shoes of Mandela. People support the ANC because of Mandela, not Zuma. He is Zuma's hero too - he is everyone's hero.

Godfrey Mpho, 22, added: "To see Zuma and Mandela, it was the youth and the adult. They told us real things are going to happen - jobs, houses, bursaries for students."

And there lies the challenge for the ANC. Africa's oldest liberation movement has discovered the awkward realities of governing, and Zuma is set to inherit an adolescent democracy that has lost some of its sheen. For months newspapers have been dominated by stories about political corruption and backroom dealing. Zuma himself had a long-running bribery case against him suddenly dropped this month on legal technicalities that many suspect were the result of political pressure.

He told the faithful yesterday that the "ANC brand" had never been so strong. It may prove wishful thinking. The elegiac mood around Mandela suggested that South Africans still find it easier to remember the long walk to freedom than to embark on a new journey.