“Not What It Stands for”: Mbeki Says Selfish Interests the Cause of ANC Decline
- Former President Thabo Mbeki says corruption and self-enriching leaders are to blame for the decline of the ANC
- He says without improving the quality of membership, support for the party will continue to decline
- He's especially calling on the ANC to root out the bad apples and make the necessary changes
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Former president Thabo Mbeki has spoken out about the ever-deteriorating state of the ANC. He says self-enrichment and the poor quality of the party's membership are contributing to a growing disillusionment amongst supporters.
Source: Getty Images
Delivering the Chief Albert Luthuli memorial lecture in Cape Town on Friday, Mbeki said the renewal of the ANC is the only way to root out corruption.
He also added that this year's poor results in the municipal elections has been a long time coming, IOL reports.
He says this year's poor showing in municipal elections has been long coming.
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While some people have used the party for self-enrichment, he's calling on leaders to make the necessary changes and root out the bad apples
Mbeki added that corruption is a global problem not just a South African one, eNCA reports.
Thabo Mbeki is worth R177.5 million and has no one to leave his fortune to
Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that as of 2021, Thabo Mbeki is said to be worth around $11 million - which more or less R177.5 million depending on the exchange rate. Briefly News decided to take a look at the life and career of Thabo Mbeki and how he became one of the richest politicians in the country.
Early life and childhood
On 18 June, 1942, Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki was born in Mbewuleni - which was also where he grew up. Mbeki is one of four kids of Epainette and Govan Mbeki.
His father, Govan Mbeki, was an ANC stalwart who was sentenced to Robben Island in 1963.
Briefly News previously reported his dad named him after a close friend, Thabo Mofutsanyana. Govan and his wife, Nomaka Epainette Mbeki, were both teachers and political activists affiliated with the ANC.
Education
A young Thabo Mbeki attended primary school in Butterworth and Idutywa.
Mbeki obtained a secondary education at Lovedale, Alice. In 1959, Mbeki participated in student strikes which resulted in his expulsion. However, in the same year, he matriculated from the St. John's High School.
The former president went on to study towards an economics degree as an external student with the University of London. He later obtained his master's degree in economics from Sussex University.
In 1999, former South African president, Thabo Mbeki received his Honorary Doctorate from The Rand Afrikaans University only three months after he was inaugurated as the country's president.
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.
Career and how Thabo Mbeki generated his impressive nett worth
The majority of Thabo Mbeki’s nett worth comes from the various roles he filled in the ruling party. Even before the ANC came into rule, Mbeki played an integral part in generating support for the party, within the country and abroad.
According to AnswersAfrica, Mbeki excelled as a diplomat in African countries and he played an important role in turning the world against apartheid.
Thabo Mbeki went on to hold several positions in the ruling party, including deputy president and head of state. He became the second president of South Africa, serving from 16 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He succeeded Nelson Mandela, under whom he served as the first Deputy President. Even though he ended up resigning from office only months before the end of his second term, Mbeki’s tenure did wonders for the economy.
During his nine years in office, Mbeki expanded the Black middle-class through the implementation of the Black Economic Empowerment, and with this, the economy of South Africa grew at a steady rate of 4.5% per annum.
In addition to this, he solidified the economic bridges between Brazil, India, and China. A development commonly referred to as BRIC. This partnership birthed the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum that focused on strengthening the co-operation between their various sectors as well as push for political consultation.
Through him, South Africa became the apple of many international investors' eyes who contributed significantly to the country's economic development by establishing companies under foreign direct investment.
Becoming the deputy president and president of South Africa certainly helped fatten Mbeki’s bank account. AnswersAfrica reported Mbeki earned a whopping R3.9 million annually as the head of state and around R2.8 million as the deputy president.
Source: Briefly News
