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04/27/2004:

"Mbeki sworn in as South Africa celebrates"

Mbeki, whose African National Congress was re-elected in a landslide victory two weeks ago, took the oath on Tuesday at Pretoria's Union Buildings and vowed to bring all South Africans a share in the nation's wealth.

"Endemic and widespread poverty continues to disfigure the face of our country. It will always be impossible for us to say that we have fully restored the dignity of all our people as long as this situation persists," he said.

Cheers erupted as anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela arrived at the swearing-in ceremony - an echo of the momentous day 10 years ago when he became South Africa's first black president. english.aljazeera.net