South African President Mbeki forced to resign

In this photo supplied by the Government Communication and Information Services (GCIS), South African President Thabo Mbeki sits during a meeting with his security chiefs (not pictured) in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2008. The governing African National Congress told Mbeki last Saturday that he must resign, after nine years at the nation’s helm. (AP photo/Elmond Jiyane-GCIS, HO)

Donna Bryson

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — President Thabo Mbeki bowed to heavy pressure from his own party to resign, tossed to the sidelines as punishment for allegedly abusing his power in trying to quash a popular rival.

The swiftness of Mbeki’s ouster last Saturday will likely stoke fears about the political and financial direction of South Africa.

But the change also allows the governing African National Congress (ANC) to declare its internal leadership battle over and turn its attention to next year’s elections, when key concerns will include corruption and demands from the poor for jobs and houses.

Even as it demanded he step down, the ANC praised Mbeki for overseeing unprecedented growth. But little of the wealth created since he succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999 has trickled down to the black majority that hoped for more after apartheid.

The result is that poor blacks have flocked to the ANC’s populist leader, Jacob Zuma, a one-time Mbeki protégé. He is considered the frontrunner for next year’s presidential election, but parliament will pick an interim leader to take over from Mbeki.

While Zuma and Mbeki espouse similar views of South Africa’s future, they differ sharply in style. The aloof Mbeki won praise from business but never attained the public support enjoyed by the personable, energetic Zuma, particularly among leftists, union members and young people.

Many poor people lionize Zuma as a leader who understands the pain of the millions of South Africans who remain on the margins of society.

Mbeki came under pressure from his party to quit following a judge’s recent ruling that he may have had a role in Zuma’s being charged with corruption. Mbeki, who was due to leave office next year after two terms as president, denied that but gave in to the demands last Saturday.