Today in history: SA parliament accepts Mbeki's decision to resign
- Twelve years ago Thabo Mbeki officially resigned as South Africa's president
- The former president presented his resignation letter on the 21 of September, 2008
- 11 cabinet members and three deputy ministers resigned in sympathy with Mbeki
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Former South African president Thabo Mbeki officially resigned 12 years ago today. Mbeki had handed in his resignation after being recalled by the ANC following Judge CR Nicholson's ruling regarding Mbeki's interference in the Jacob Zuma's corruption case.
Judge Nicholson had at the time concluded that Mbeki had been involved in improper interference in the National Prosecuting Authorities (NPA). Mbeki handed in the resignation shortly after the ruling.
The following year, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned Judge Nicholson's ruling but Mbeki's resignation was not withdrawn. A Parliament Member had also tried to raise an objection to Mbeki's removal from the presidency by calling a voting motion.
Source: Getty Images
The motion, however, proved to be a lost cause after an overwhelming 299 parliamentary members voted against the motion. By the 25th of September, parliamentary members were voting in a new president for the country.
Ben Turok of the ANC nominated Kgalema Motlanthe as the ANC's preferred presidential candidate while Sandra Botha of the Democratic Alliance (DA) nominated its Federal Chairperson Joe Seremane for the position.
Motlanthe was swiftly sworn in as the third black president of South Africa on the 25th of September 2008 after winning the ballot with 269 out of 360 votes.
Briefly.co.za previously reported that Mbeki was inaugurated as South Africa's president in June 1999 following Nelson Mandela's end of term. He was the second black man to take on the role, a historic feat on its own.
He served as the president for nearly two terms, resigning nine months before the second term came to pass. During Mbeki's ruling of the nation, the country saw a lucrative increase in the economy during which black citizens benefited greatly after his implementation of BEE (Black Economic Empowerment).
Mbeki also played an important role as a mediator for peace agreements between many African countries. In 2017 he became a recipient of an Honorary Degree from Kenya’s Dedan Kimathi University for his role in the liberation of South Africa as well the African Renaissance.
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Source: Briefly News
