The authorities said Mr. Zuma, the former president, was a beneficiary of a new program to relieve crowding. His political opponents called the timing suspicious.
Right-wing commenters claim that an old anti-apartheid chant is a call to anti-white violence, but historians and the left-wing politician who embraces it say it should not be taken literally.
Nelson Mandela is revered worldwide and celebrated on July 18, his birthday. But at home, a younger generation is disillusioned with the country, his party and the anti-apartheid leader, too.
South Africa’s largest city is now on its sixth different mayor in 22 months. While politicians argue over power, residents struggle with dry taps, heaps of garbage and dilapidated buildings.
The American ambassador to South Africa told reporters that Washington is confident a Russian ship picked up a load of weapons and ammunition near Cape Town in December.