The talk in Nkandla in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Monday was how the village would celebrate when Jacob Zuma took over as president after Wednesday elections.

Nkandla is the rural home of the ANC president, but it is also regarded as a stronghold of Mangosuthu Buthelezi?s Inkatha Freedom Party, an arch rival of Zuma?s African National Congress.

Like many other rural villages in the province, Nkandla, is a sleepy area where you hardly see people moving around. Here people know each other by names and even their ages.

Unlike in urban areas where news is disseminated through the mass media, in rural areas like Nkandla, a villager finds himself or herself obliged to spread the news by personally going to other neighbours and telling them about the story.

As in the mass media, villagers always have stories of the day, of the week and even of the year. On Monday, the village talk in Nkandla was how the village would celebrate Zuma's forthcoming election victory.

A snap survey in the area shows that although villagers belong to different political organisations, they are united in one goal. That is to see their local boy, Zuma becoming president.

Bhekumuzi Zuma, the leader of the Nxamalala clan in Nkandla and Zuma?s relative, said preparations for a huge celebratory party were at an advanced stage. Six cows would be slaughtered after leaders of the clan returned from Zuma?s inauguration, he said.

"Election polls indicate that the ANC will win the Wednesday elections and this means that Zuma will be president of this country. People from different political parties in this area are all waiting for Zuma to take over as president."

The leader of the Nxamalala clan said he was excited that he would be the first traditional leader in the province to have the state president as one of his servants.

A story of the year

Yesterday, camera crews were at Zuma?s homestead to prepare for capturing the excitement and celebrations when elections results are announced.

Funani Ntazi, an 85-year-old villager, said seeing Zuma taking over the highest office in the land would be the most important thing that had ever happened in Nkandla.

"The Zuma story is not the story of the day. This is the story of the year. We have been thinking about this for over a year now. We want to celebrate and celebrate if Zuma, our local boy, takes over as president."

Ntanzi said Zuma?s ascendancy to power was not a walk in the park, adding that the ANC president had sacrificed many things to get where he was.

"I first saw him when he was still a young boy. That was before he got married. He was a polite boy and not a hooligan," said Ntanzi.

She said she expected Zuma to help the whole of Nkandla to get electricity and enough clinics.

"Zuma has already helped us with schools and some parts of Nkandla have been electrified because of him."

The Jacob Zuma Trust

Zuma?s education trust is also paying for Nzanzi?s two grandchildren. The Jacob Zuma Trust is educating about 6795 students, of whom 262 are at university. The number of destitute children who need help keeps increasing.

The trust has produced 65 graduates.

William Vilakazi, principal of Mnyakanya High School in Nkandla, said his school would not have been built if it were not for Zuma.

"Our school was built through him and former president Nelson Mandela. I believe that he is still going to do more for Nkandla."

Nkandla is home to 140 000 people. Unemployment is 90 percent and the majority of households are headed by women.

Some villagers who are IFP supporters said they intended voting IFP on the provincial ballot paper and the ANC in the national ballot to ensure that Zuma became president.

Buthelezi has already warned IFP supporters not to vote for the ANC in the national ballot.