Polokwane - After years of being kept at bodyguard's length and maintaining a steadfast public silence, Jacob Zuma spoke on Thursday on the legal and political tribulations he has been embroiled in during the run up to his election as president of the ANC.

In a speech and a later press conference peppered with messages of unity and party cohesion, he broke his silence on the political rivalry with his predecessor Thabo Mbeki.

He planned to meet Mbeki to smooth things over for their future dealings with him as president of the ruling party, and Mbeki president of the country.

Calling him a "comrade" and a "brother", whom he had known for 30 years, he paid tribute to Mbeki's leadership skills and said he still had an important part to play in the ANC.

"The fact that he is not a president of this conference, does not remove him as a leader of the ANC. Mbeki is one of the comrades who has the capacity that the ANC needs," he said. "I think Comrade Mbeki is going to be very, very important."

Mbeki had achieved more than any other world leader with his quiet diplomacy policy by not "shouting from the rooftops" at Zimbabwe. This policy would continue.

Renewal of corruption charges

He moved quickly to dispel fears about a clash between himself as head of the party and Mbeki as president of the country, saying: "There is nothing that is going to be difficult. We are going to work with Comrade Mbeki officially as a leader and second as the president of the country."

Contrary to reports, the two met regularly at the ANC's Monday meetings, he said.

Dressed casually in an ANC jacket and cap, Zuma appeared to be enjoying his first outing as the head of the country's ruling party, taking a barrage of questions with ease, his shoulders shaking with mirth at times, deftly side-stepping the question of the possible renewal of corruption charges against him.

Asked for his reaction to a report that the National Prosecuting Authority was about to make a decision on whether to charge him afresh, he quickly said: "I don't think I'd like to engage that issue. I think I want to cross that bridge when I get there ... If I start arguing that, I'm just philosophising on speculation."

He said he had never asked for his day in court, as reported.

"I was being asked in public about allegations against me and I said: 'If I have to answer any allegations I will do that in court'.

"I never said that I wanted to have my day in court."

Asked if he would step down if charged, he said he would not discuss or speculate about something that "does not exist" as he had not been charged yet.

"I would actually not be allaying fears, I would be doing the opposite, I would be raising fears."

Massive support

On whether there was a contingency plan if he was tried, he said: "How do we make contingency plans? We must come together, make plans, for what?"

The charges, thrown out of court last year without a hearing, centre on his relationship with businessman and struggle comrade Schabir Shaik, who was found guilty in 2005 of soliciting an arms company bribe for Zuma and jailed for an effective 15 years.

Mbeki sacked Zuma as the country's deputy president soon after the Shaik verdict, sparking massive support for Zuma and open criticism and hostility towards Mbeki.

Initial corruption charges were dropped against him last year as the state said it was not ready to prosecute him.

The talk of change at the conference had only been about a change of leadership, not policy, and Zuma said it was not within his powers to appoint cabinet ministers as this was Mbeki's job.

On a report on whether there were cabinet ministers fearing for their posts, he agreed there had been individuals who "have feelings" but when he was deputy president in government "nobody resigned or ran away".

Zuma also focused on economic policy, crime and HIV/Aids.

"If we were able to defeat vigilantism and the apartheid system, what can stop us from defeating this ugly factor that has tainted our democracy?"

On HIV/Aids, he called on all ANC structures to join the battle against the disease.

"We must live up to our slogan and build a caring society that does not discriminate against those living with HIV and Aids, while working to prevent infections."

Zuma also sought to quell fears from business over the economic policies of the ANC under its new leadership.

"There is... no reason why the domestic or international business community or any other sector should be uneasy," adding later that decisions were not taken by individuals, but by the whole party.

When he ended his press conference, he was not mobbed, as on previous occasions as he was taken to his convoy. Instead, journalists and delegates who had wandered into the media room politely stepped forward to shake his hand and congratulate him.

He did not sing Mshini Wami.

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News24.