The streets of Pretoria were abuzz with food vendors on Saturday, eagerly boiling stews to feed the masses, who were expected to arrive to bear witness of the inauguration of the next president, Jacob Zuma.

Before 5am, vendors had already set up their tables with pots, fruit and packets of chips.

Thousands gather at Union Buildings

Normally a ghost town at the time of the morning, blue lights, sheets of lightning and light drizzle spread around the town.

Main arteries around the Union buildings were cordoned off.

At the reception area for guests and media, procedures ran smoothly with journalists, cameramen and the like, all politely being herded to the buses to be driven to designated areas such as the south lawn, the Amphitheatre, where the inauguration will take place and the balcony of the Union Buildings, from where they will watch the proceedings.

At the south lawn of the Union buildings, members of the public filed in, in anticipation of the swearing in of the new president.

Laughter, manic chatter and vuvuzellas echoed their arrival.