Word: zuma
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...split is the culmination of three years of factional intrigue within the ANC between the supporters of ousted President Thabo Mbeki, and those of his chief rival, Jacob Zuma. Mbeki had been Mandela's deputy and became party and national president after Mandela's retirement in 1998, with Zuma as his deputy in both positions. But during Mbeki's second term, the two fell out and became bitter enemies. In 2005, Zuma's financial adviser, Shabir Shaik, was convicted of bribing Zuma in relation to a $10 billion arms deal, and was jailed for 15 years. Mbeki sacked Zuma...
...beginning as well as an end. So it is with the announcement by Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's President, that he is stepping down. After an interim period sure to be marked by uncertainty, Mbeki is likely to be succeeded by his former deputy and sometime foe Jacob Zuma, a populist who has faced corruption and rape charges in the past few years - allegations he has always denied and which his supporters have claimed were politically motivated. A recent court ruling that state prosecutors ignored proper legal procedure gave that claim some validity...
...even if Zuma (pictured above) succeeds in providing stability while fulfilling promises to his leftist supporters, the status of the African National Congress (ANC) party, once the continent's most respected organ of national liberation, has been irreversibly diminished by the infighting of the past few years. Under Nelson Mandela, the ANC peerlessly wielded its moral authority. But that trait also encouraged leaders to think they were above reproach, an attitude that found its fullest expression in Mbeki, who often acted as if he had no reason to explain himself and simply asked people to take his decisions on trust...
...South Africa Mbeki Steps Down After accusations that he interfered in the corruption case of rival Jacob Zuma, President Thabo Mbeki resigned Sept. 21 at his party's urging. Several members of his Cabinet subsequently quit, deepening fears of a political crisis. The shift could also slow the progress of neighboring Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal, which Mbeki helped negotiate. Deputy party leader Kgalema Motlanthe will serve until next year's election, which Zuma is expected...
...Motlanthe is a cautious and low-key operator rather than a high-profile politician or empire builder, and is generally viewed as one of the intellectual anchors of the Zuma camp - which has challenged Mbeki's market-oriented economic policies from the left. Still, the widespread respect enjoyed by the former political prisoner and union organizer has positioned him as a bridge between the rival factions, and the leader many see as the one best able to ensure a smooth transition to Zuma?s presidency...