FACTBOX - Political parties in South Africa's election

(Reuters) - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) is widely expected to win a general election on Wednesday with party leader Jacob Zuma becoming president.

Here are some facts on South Africa's political parties and their leaders.

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC)

-- Led by Zuma, who portrays himself as a champion of the poor, the African National Congress has dominated South Africa since Nelson Mandela became president after the end of apartheid in 1994. It won over 70 percent of the vote in 2004.

-- Prosecutors recently dropped corruption charges that had dogged Zuma for years, but on a technicality. That means his leadership may remain tainted by questions over his innocence. He denies any wrongdoing.

-- Zuma was deputy president for six years until 2005. He was sacked by then President Thabo Mbeki after he was implicated in a graft trial. Zuma, acquitted of separate rape charges in 2006, says he has been the victim of a political conspiracy.

-- In office, he would face the dilemma of trying to please both left-leaning union allies, who helped him defeat Mbeki for the ANC leadership and who want more interventionist policies, and foreign investors worried about a shift to the left.

-- The South African Native National Congress was formed in 1912 after laws denying political rights for black people and changed its name to the African National Congress. It fought against the racist apartheid system established in 1948.

-- Mandela was freed in 1990 after 27 years in jail and led the ANC to victory in the first all-race election in 1994. Mbeki was elected in 1999 after Mandela stepped down and re-elected in 2002. Mbeki was forced out as president last year after being accused of meddling in the graft trial of Zuma.