Zuma faces challenges after polls - Maharaj

African National Congress President Jacob Zuma and his party will be forced to demonstrate how they are different from their predecessors after the election, former transport minister Mac Maharaj said on Tuesday.

"On election night, he and the ANC will be confronted with needing to show South Africa has changed," Maharaj said at the University of Johannesburg.

Maharaj said the country needed more than only discussion and opinion pieces.

"If we only have more indabas and policy papers, I would say '(they) lost' (their chance to show change)."

"It is actions that are going to inspire confidence."

Maharaj called for government, civil society and the media to examine themselves in how former president Thabo Mbeki was able to gain so much influence in what he called a "coup attempt". - Sapa