The "mother of all parties" is being planned for Saturday in rural Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, for Jacob Zuma, who will go home for the first time since being swornin as the country's fourth democratic president.
The Zuma family say they want the homecoming to be a "memorable event" and plan to slaughter 20 cows for their mega thanksgiving celebration.
Giant marquees have already been set up at Ntolwane Primary School, a stone's throw from the Zuma home. Nkandla is home to 140000 people with an unemployment rate of a staggering 90percent.