Ever since President Thabo Mbeki took over from the much more famous Nelson Mandela in 1999, he has always seemed firmly in command. He maintained a normal Government with no radical policies, unlike many of the other Governments nearby that had thrown off a colonial yoke (in the case of South Africa, it was the overthrowing of the apartheid regime). Even when he was bitterly criticized for his absolutely anti-science AIDS position and a few other policies that seemed a bit out of whack, he never seemed fallible. And yet, in a matter of a few months, he has fallen so hard that his career seems all over, destroyed from within the party. It was only last year that he lost the leadership of his party, losing the position to ANC President Jacob Zuma:
Eleven South African ministers have resigned as President Thabo Mbeki prepares to leave office, the government announced Tuesday. Mbeki’s successor — most likely African National Congress deputy president, Kgalema Motlanthe — will be sworn into office on Thursday. Three deputy ministers have also tendered their resignations, a government statement said.
