World Sep. 22, 2008 - 05:04AM JST ( 13 )

CAPE TOWN —

South African President Thabo Mbeki announced Sunday he had handed in his resignation, acceding to a call by his ruling ANC party for him to step down seven months before his second term ends.

In an address broadcast live on state television and radio, Mbeki told the nation he had accepted the call to resign in the interest of party unity as he “respects the decisions” of the African National Congress, which he has belonged to for 52 years.

Earlier, ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa told state television the party planned to nominate an acting state president as early as Monday, who would then form a new cabinet.

Mbeki, ousted in what Phosa termed a bid to unite the party under one leader, used his final address to reflect on successes and urge the nation to continue striving to fight social ills.

He said he had tendered his resignation “effective from a day that will be determined by the national assembly.”

Mbeki , 66, who succeeded Nelson Mandela as president in June 1999, has become the country’s first democratically-elected president to be forced out of office before the end of his term.

The decision comes after a week of pressure following a September 12 court ruling that threw out a corruption case against his political rival Jacob Zuma, and a judge hinted that Mbeki’s government had interfered in the decision to prosecute the ANC chief.

In his swansong speech, Mbeki denied the allegations his government had interfered with justice.

“We have never compromised the right of the National Prosecution Authority to prosecute or not to prosecute. This applies equally to the painful matter relating to the court proceeding against the president of the ANC, comrade Jacob Zuma,” he said.

Mbeki’s address followed a special cabinet meeting in which it is believed he asked cabinet members loyal to him not to provoke a crisis in the government by following him out of office.

The decision to force Mbeki’s hand in resigning was taken Saturday after a lengthy meeting of the ANC leadership.

Under the South African constitution, the president is appointed by parliament, which has been dominated by the ANC since the end of apartheid and the start of majority rule in May 1994.

Mbeki’s term had been due to expire in mid-2009, and he has been largely seen as a lame duck president since losing the leadership of his party to Zuma at a key ANC conference in December.

Human Sciences Research Council analyst Adam Habib said it was almost certain the ANC would install parliament speaker Baleka Mbete as the interim head-of-state until elections are held, and the party is not ready to call a poll earlier than those set down for April 2009.

Analysts have remained guarded on whether the events would plunge South Africa into crisis, with many arguing the careful handling of the transition, with cabinet intact, could lessen the impact on the country and markets.

The opposition Democratic Alliance said Mbeki left a checkered legacy and was hopeful his resignation would lessen the ANC’s dominance.

“Mbeki’s conciliatory tone belies the deep divisions in the ruling party; his ousting may prove to be the undoing of the ANC’s electoral dominance,” said DA leader Helen Zille.

Phosa said the call for Mbeki to resign was not an act of retribution, but a bid to unite the party behind one leader ahead of polls next year.

“We have done an assessment of what the problems are. It is internal stability and what will take us forward to the elections with the whole of the ANC behind one leader, Zuma,” said Phosa.

The court ruling that all but sealed Mbeki’s fate also cleared Zuma of corruption charges, paving the way for his bid to become South Africa’s president in the 2009 election.

The main allegation against Zuma had been that he received bribes for protecting French arms company Thint in an investigation into a controversial weapons deal.

Judge Chris Nicholson said the decision to throw out the case was not a reflection of Zuma’s guilt or innocence, but a technical decision based on his right to make representations before being recharged.

Wire reports