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South Africa President Thabo Mbeki Resigns

by Terri Potratz | September 21, 2008 at 03:43 pm

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South African president Thabo Mbeki formally resigned from office, in response to the African National Congress urging him to quit.

The move comes days after a high court judge suggested that Mr Mbeki may have interfered in a corruption case against his rival, ANC leader Jacob Zuma.
But during his address, Mr Mbeki made an impassioned defence of his position.

There had been no effort at all to meddle with the judicial process, he said. And Mr Mbeki dismissed any suggestion he had been trying to shape the judgement for his own political ends.

Despite his claims of innocence in the accusations made against him, Mbeki appears to be acting with the benefit of the nation in mind by making the transition towards a new president a smooth one. He will remain in office until a replacement is selected by the ANC.

Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela as president in 1999.