JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — President Thabo Mbeki bowed to heavy pressure from his own party to resign Saturday, tossed to the sidelines of the economic powerhouse he built up as punishment for allegedly abusing his power in trying to quash a popular rival.
The swiftness of the ouster probably will stoke fears about the direction of South Africa, particularly if key Cabinet ministers quit in solidarity with Mbeki.
But the change also allows the governing African National Congress to declare its internal leadership battle over and turn its attention to next year’s elections, when key concerns will be about corruption and demands from the poor for jobs and houses.
Even as it demanded he step down, the ANC praised Mbeki for overseeing unprecedented growth. But little of the wealth created since he succeeded Nelson Mandela in 1999 has trickled down to the black majority that had hoped for more with the end of apartheid.
The result is that poor blacks have flocked to the ANC’s populist leader, Jacob Zuma, a one-time Mbeki protege who became a potent foe. He is considered the front-runner for next year’s presidential election, but Parliament will pick an interim leader to take over from Mbeki.
While Zuma and Mbeki espouse similar views of South Africa’s future, they differ in style. Aloof and donnish, Mbeki won praise from business but never attained the public support enjoyed by the personable, energetic Zuma, particularly among leftists, union members and young people.
Many poor people lionize Zuma as a leader who understands the pain of South Africans on the margins.
