• Commonwealth:
• News:
• News Archive Search:
• Face in the News: Thabo Mbeki

Face in the News: Thabo Mbeki

19 April 2004

HE Mr Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa.

President Thabo Mbeki was re-elected after a majority victory for the African National Congress (ANC) in the general elections in South Africa.

The victory comes 10 years after the ANC won South Africa's first non-racial democratic elections in April 1994.

It was in that same year that South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth and reclaimed its seat at the United Nations. The Commonwealth played an important role in helping the people of South Africa in its struggle to end apartheid.

HE Mr Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki became President of South Africa on 16 June 1999. He had previously served as Deputy President in the Government of National Unity under Nelson Mandela.

He joined the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League in 1956. In 1962 he left South Africa under ANC orders, moving first to Tanzania and then to the UK. From 1967 to 1970 he worked in the ANC office in the UK and then became an ANC activist in Botswana, Nigeria, Swaziland and Zambia. He was made Political Secretary in the Office of the President of the ANC in 1978. He was Director of the Department of Information and Publicity from 1984 to 1989. From 1989 onwards Mr Mbeki led the ANC delegation in secret talks with the South Africa regime, which led to the unbanning of the ANC and the release of political prisoners.

He also participated in the negotiations leading to the adoption of the interim Constitution for the new South Africa. He was elected Chairperson of the ANC in 1993 and ANC President in 1997. Mr Mbeki was Chairperson of the African Union from July 2002-July 2003 and is a member of the Steering Committee of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

Mr Mbeki was born in Idutywa, Transkei, in June 1942 and attended high school in Lovedale. He completed a Masters in economics at Sussex University in 1966.

Mr Mbeki was Chairperson of the 1999 Commonwealth summit in Durban.

Speaking after the result was announced on 18 April, Mr Mbeki thanked all the parties who participated and praised them for "...the manner in which they conducted themselves during the election campaign and the voting process. Their highly responsible and patriotic behaviour played a critical role in ensuring that we held peaceful, free and fair elections."