Mbeki Resigns
South African president Thabo Mbeki has resigned:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South African President Thabo Mbeki agreed to resign after the ruling party ordered him Saturday to step down, a move that could heighten turmoil in Africa’s economic powerhouse.
Mbeki’s rival and heir apparent Jacob Zuma was not expected to take over immediately. Another figure in the ruling African National Congress could be named interim president by parliament.
“Following the decision of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress to recall President Thabo Mbeki, the President has obliged and will step down after all constitutional requirements have been met,” the presidency said in a terse statement.
Mbeki was due to stand down next year after two terms in office, but faced growing pressure from Zuma’s supporters to quit following a judge’s ruling that Mbeki may have had a role in Zuma being charged with corruption.
A point I’ve made from time to time is that people tend to do what they’ve been trained to do and Thabo Mbeki is a fine example of that point. He’s a diplomat and much of his time and energies during his nine years in office have been devoted to mediation all over Africa, regardless of what South Africa’s needs might have been.
Now failing to stick to his knitting has cost him his job.
Well, if the Zimbabwe unity government actually holds for a few months, years, or until Mugabe dies, then he’ll at least have one accomplishment to his name.
I’m by no means a South Africa expert, but doesn’t it seem strange that the ANC can order Mbeki to resign the post of the Presidency, an elected office? For a political party to order the removal of a duly elected official smacks of the dealings of a one party state (which is pretty much the case for the ANC and South Africa).
mbeki is a credible person. i am not south african but feel the anc is making a big mistake. with a few months to go they must have let him leave office at the end of his term. i do not think if he leaves they will be changes in anythn except new faces. problems affectn south africa are global problems like what is happening in usa. it might backfire on zuma to think he has got solutions to south african problems but then get caught in this global economic problem. i think being a president is a high office and humiliation is not good. there is always an alternative route to solve problems. we are not perfect. we all make blunders. i just hope south africans get united.