The new head of South Africa's ruling party, Jacob Zuma, has made his first public address to the African National Congress since taking over as leader.
In a speech before thousands of ANC members in Pretoria, Mr Zuma called for party unity after the bitter leadership contest against President Thabo Mbeki.
He said work was needed to heal the internal rifts caused by the contest.
Mr Zuma, who has been confirmed as the party's presidential candidate in 2009, will face a corruption trial in August.
The 65-year-old has said he would only resign if a court found him guilty.
If he is cleared, Mr Zuma is almost certain to be elected as president, given the ANC's grip on power since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Two centres of power
An estimated 20,000 ANC members attended the rally to mark the 96th anniversary of their party at a football stadium on the outskirts of the capital, Pretoria.
The crowd was made up of mainly of Zuma supporters, many wearing T-shirts bearing his image, singing his trademark anti-apartheid guerrilla song Bring Me My Machine Gun.
JACOB ZUMA
Played key role in fight against apartheid
Plagued by corruption allegations
Acquitted on rape charges
Seen as charismatic
Zuma enjoys crowning
Controversial arms deal
Mr Zuma acknowledged that the past few months and years had placed the unity of the ANC under great strain and that it had been a painful period.
But he said the ANC's great strength had been its ability to unite the people of South Africa, adding that party members or leaders "must never be used to marginalise or exclude others".
He gave a reassurance that there should be no apprehension about relations between the ANC and government, even though Mr Zuma is now in charge of the ruling party and Thabo Mbeki remains president of the country.
Mr Mbeki did not attend the party celebrations, and the BBC's Peter Biles, who is in Pretoria, says that his absence will only fuel speculation that there remains a rift between the two.
Mr Zuma took over the leadership of the ANC from Mr Mbeki after a divisive and bruising election contest last month.
There are now two centres of power in South Africa, with Mr Zuma in charge of the ruling party and Mr Mbeki serving out his term as president of the country until 2009.
Mr Zuma used his speech to also outline his political priorities for the coming year, highlighting the "serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality".
He said that the current rate of unemployment was at about 40% but falling slowly.
He praised Thabo Mbeki's government for presiding over an uninterrupted period of economic growth but insisted that this growth needed to be accelerated in order to close the gap between the rich and poor.
In a speech before thousands of ANC members in Pretoria, Mr Zuma called for party unity after the bitter leadership contest against President Thabo Mbeki.
He said work was needed to heal the internal rifts caused by the contest.
Mr Zuma, who has been confirmed as the party's presidential candidate in 2009, will face a corruption trial in August.
The 65-year-old has said he would only resign if a court found him guilty.
If he is cleared, Mr Zuma is almost certain to be elected as president, given the ANC's grip on power since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Two centres of power
An estimated 20,000 ANC members attended the rally to mark the 96th anniversary of their party at a football stadium on the outskirts of the capital, Pretoria.
The crowd was made up of mainly of Zuma supporters, many wearing T-shirts bearing his image, singing his trademark anti-apartheid guerrilla song Bring Me My Machine Gun.
JACOB ZUMA
Played key role in fight against apartheid
Plagued by corruption allegations
Acquitted on rape charges
Seen as charismatic
Zuma enjoys crowning
Controversial arms deal
Mr Zuma acknowledged that the past few months and years had placed the unity of the ANC under great strain and that it had been a painful period.
But he said the ANC's great strength had been its ability to unite the people of South Africa, adding that party members or leaders "must never be used to marginalise or exclude others".
He gave a reassurance that there should be no apprehension about relations between the ANC and government, even though Mr Zuma is now in charge of the ruling party and Thabo Mbeki remains president of the country.
Mr Mbeki did not attend the party celebrations, and the BBC's Peter Biles, who is in Pretoria, says that his absence will only fuel speculation that there remains a rift between the two.
Mr Zuma took over the leadership of the ANC from Mr Mbeki after a divisive and bruising election contest last month.
There are now two centres of power in South Africa, with Mr Zuma in charge of the ruling party and Mr Mbeki serving out his term as president of the country until 2009.
Mr Zuma used his speech to also outline his political priorities for the coming year, highlighting the "serious challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality".
He said that the current rate of unemployment was at about 40% but falling slowly.
He praised Thabo Mbeki's government for presiding over an uninterrupted period of economic growth but insisted that this growth needed to be accelerated in order to close the gap between the rich and poor.
