Now that Jacob Zuma has received a deserved victory and is on the verge of becoming the country's next president come 2009, together with his team, they must avoid the mistakes that led to President Thabo Mbeki's downfall.

Now that Jacob Zuma has received a deserved victory and is on the verge of becoming the country's next president come 2009, together with his team, they must avoid the mistakes that led to President Thabo Mbeki's downfall.

Thanks to his warmth and charm, Zuma is capable of uniting the tripartite alliance and reaching out to ordinary citizens.

He must avoid revenge against those who wanted to destroy him, as Blade Nzimande has advised.

He must also avoid what his predecessor did, by surrounding himself with a group of the elite and intelligentsia who were seen as his "yes men".

Mothusi Motlhabi, Mafikeng