SOUTH AFRICA:THE AFRICAN National Congress's (ANC) deputy leader, Kjalema Motlanthe, is the ruling party's preferred choice to become South Africa's caretaker president following the resignation of Thabo Mbeki on Sunday, it was widely reported yesterday.
Mr Motlanthe, who was only recently appointed to the cabinet, is a close ally of ANC president Jacob Zuma and was appointed the party's second-in-command last December.
It is believed the 59-year-old has been chosen by the ANC to lead South Africa until next year's general election because he is highly regarded throughout the ruling party.
An official announcement on who the new leader is has yet to be made. Mr Zuma said yesterday the candidate would be named in parliament "at an appropriate moment", but insisted of Mr Motlanthe: "I am confident that if given that responsibility he will be equal to the task".
The need for a caretaker president arose after the ANC asked Mr Mbeki to leave his post seven months early, because of his alleged abuse of state powers in relation to the prosecution of Mr Zuma on corruption charges.
Judge Chris Nicholson suggested Mr Mbeki had been involved in a political plot against Mr Zuma, and that he was in some way involved in the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) decision to pursue the ANC leader.
Judge Nicholson made his comments nine days ago during a ruling in which he threw out charges against Mr Zuma on a procedural technicality. Mr Zuma had been charged in relation to a government arms deal. The NPA is appealing the decision.
The ANC said it decided to recall Mr Mbeki from his position as South Africa's president in order to avoid divisions in the party ahead of the general election next March, in which Mr Zuma is odds-on favourite to win the presidential race.
However, some analysts say Mr Mbeki's sacking is an attempt by Mr Zuma to get revenge against a man he believes is trying to stop him from becoming South Africa's next president.
Mr Motlanthe was ANC secretary general from 1997 to 2007. He was elected ANC deputy president last December when Mr Zuma was elected party president at the expense of Mr Mbeki.
He was previously active in the National Union of Mineworkers, where he became secretary general in 1992. He also has anti-apartheid struggle credentials, being detained for about 11 months in 1967, and receiving a 10-year sentence in 1977.