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South Africa's President Announces Resignation

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Los Angeles Times

Published: September 22, 2008

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - President Thabo Mbeki went on national television Sunday to formally announce his resignation and deny charges that he pressured prosecutors to go after his rival, Jacob Zuma, whose supporters forced the South African leader from office.

Mbeki's departure leaves the ruling African National Congress bitterly divided and many South Africans puzzled about why Zuma's supporters within the ANC forced the president out seven months before his term was to end.

The country faces a period of economic and political instability, likely to be deepened if large numbers of Cabinet members quit out of loyalty to Mbeki.

An interim president, probably parliament speaker Baleka Mbete, is expected to be appointed this week. Zuma, who leads the ANC, will likely run in elections scheduled for next year.

A senior ANC official, Matthews Phosa, said the party had asked the Cabinet to remain on the job.

"We want the Cabinet to stay," Phosa said. "We want stability and we want them to stay ... but we cannot enforce things upon them," he said on South African television.

Early indications were that most Cabinet ministers had agreed to stay, including Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who is important to investor confidence in South Africa.

Phosa also said the party wanted Mbeki to continue as mediator in Zimbabwe, where he recently persuaded President Robert Mugabe to share power with the opposition.

Mbeki's opponents in the ANC gained the needed ammunition to drive him from office when a judge, Chris Nicholson, threw out fraud and racketeering charges against Zuma on Sept. 12.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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