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File photo taken on August 17, 2008 shows South African Preisdent Thabo Mbeki speaking during the closing ceremony of the 28th Summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in Johannesburg. South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) said that it has decided to recall President Thabo Mbeki before the end of his term next year and that he had pledged to accept the move and step aside voluntarily.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
South African President Thabo Mbeki will resign, the SA presidency confirmed on Saturday.
"The President has obliged and will step down after all constitutional requirements have been met," said presidential spokesman Mukoni Ratshitanga.
The ANC NEC announced it's decision to recall Mbeki from office on Saturday.
Addressing the media at the Esselen Park conference center in Kempton Park on the East Rand, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said Mbeki's reaction to the news was "normal".
"He didn't display shock or any depression. He welcomed the news and agreed that he is going to participate (in the parliamentary process). If I said he was excited I would be exaggerating."
Mantashe said the decision was taken "as an effort to heal and unite the African National Congress."
He said the decision was a political way to deal with the implications of Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Chris Nicholson's ruling that Mbeki may have been involved in a political conspiracy against ruling party leader Jacob Zuma.
"The biggest worry of the ANC had been the question of a reversal of the closure of the chapter (that the Nicholson judgment seemed to have promised)."
The National Prosecuting Authority's decision to appeal the judgment had become a worry, said Mantashe.
"If pursued it will continue to be a point of division for the ANC."
When asked whether a vote had been taken to reach the decision, Mantashe said: "We discussed until we reached a consensus".
When asked what the reaction would be if other cabinet ministers were to resign, Mantashe said they were considered on the one hand, deployees who had mutual respect and commitment to the ANC, but on the other hand they were also individuals.
"In the coming days the president of the ANC will meet with ANC deployees in government to assure them that the ANC would wish for them to remain in government... (but) if that individual opts out of the movement, we cannot chain them to the process. we will respect their decisions."
Earlier on Saturday, deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's spokesman Denzel Taylor said that Mlambo-Ngcuka would hand in her resignation depending on whether Mbeki hands in his resignation.
"I can confirm that the deputy president will resign if the President is asked to step down and resigns accordingly," Taylor said.
"She was appointed by the President and has served him loyally. She feels that it is the right thing to do."
Mantashe said that the process following the decision to recall Mbeki was now out of the ANC's hands.
"It is now up to Parliament to work out a formula to implement the decision.
" We are quite patient for Parliament to develop a system."
ANC deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise said Mbeki "would now do whatever he wants to do".
"He does have a responsibility to our neighbors which he will conclude," she said.
Mantashe added that the decision was not a punishment.
"Mbeki will be given space to participate in activities," he said.
Mantashe said there was no decision yet on an early election.
"The person in charge is Mbeki until he resigns because we don 't create ruptures and we don't appoint a president on top of another president."
"We share their (SA citizens) desire for stability and we believe our decision is in the interests of making that security".
Mbeki became president in 1999, taking over from Nelson Mandela.
He was the head of the ANC from 1997 until he lost a battle for power at the ANC's national conference in Polokwane in December 2007, when Zuma, his former deputy president, became the head of the organization.
(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2008)
