SEEN THIS?

Mandela Campaigns for Zuma

Ahead of S. Africa election, frail leader on the stump.

On Wednesday, South Africans head to the polls to vote in the country's most closely contested election in the post-Apartheid era, and Jacob Zuma, the candidate favored to win the presidency, just got a big boost with an endorsement from Nelson Mandela. The living legend, too frail to stand or speak at length, made a rare appearance at the final major rally before the polls open—but made an impact through his mere presence. His recorded statement, played on stadium TV screens, sparked a tremendous celebration among supporters of Zuma, a former revolutionary who has emerged as the likely winner of the election despite accusations of rape and corruption. His fans see him as a uniter that will organize their African National Congress Party, while critics fear he will be a strongman who'll undermine South Africa's new democracy.