Pretoria -Jacob Zuma was sworn in as South Africa's new president on Saturday in Pretoria. Zuma becomes fourth democratically-elected president of the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.
His African National Congress party won a resounding victory in April 22 general elections.
Taking the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Pius Langa, Zuma, 67 - who was elected president by parliament on Wednesday - promised to "obey, observe, uphold and maintain the constitution and all other laws of the republic."
Dressed in a black suit, Zuma was flanked on the podium by his first wife, Sizakele Khumalo, the eldest of his three spouses at 69.
His other two wives, who are in their mid-thirties, joined thousands of South African and foreign dignitaries in the open-air amphitheatre to watch.
Former president Nelson Mandela received a rousing cheer when he arrived in a golf cart with his wife Graca Machel. Former president Thabo Mbeki, who was ousted by the African National Congress last year got a lukewarm welcome from the crowd, which sang songs in praise of Zuma and danced.
In his first address as president, Zuma paid tribute to Mandela's legacy of nation-building and promised to renew Mandela's vision to "build a society in which all people are freed from the shackles of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease."
Although 30 heads of state and government, including Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Libya's Muammar al-Qadhafi attended the ceremony, in front of around 30,000 spectators, no Western leaders were present.
Zuma was elected president by the National Assembly in Cape Town on Wednesday.
As leader of the African National Congress, his election was a foregone conclusion after his party won a convincing majority of seats in parliament in April 22 elections.
He takes power at a time of slowing growth in South Africa which will challenge the ANC to deliver on its generous election promises of more jobs and improved services.
