JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — South African President Thabo Mbeki was forced from office Saturday, paving the way for rival Jacob Zuma to take power and leaving the country in a state of political and economic uncertainty.
The populist Zuma, expected to take over after parliamentary elections next year, has made several comebacks from near political oblivion: He beat rape charges in 2006 and just more than a week ago managed to have fraud and racketeering charges thrown out on a technicality.
The executive committee of the ruling African National Congress decided to "recall" or depose Mbeki, and a presidential spokesman said Saturday that he had agreed to resign.
Mbeki's departure could presage a major shift in economic policy and the resignation of numerous Mbeki loyalists in the Cabinet. However, the ANC's secretary general, Gwede Mantashe, said Zuma was calling on ministers to stay on for the sake of stability.
A trusted Zuma ally, parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete, is expected to be appointed interim president.
Zuma, 66, is president of the ANC, which won 70% of the vote in the last parliamentary election. This month, a judge in his fraud case declared that he was the victim of a conspiracy within the party to block his path to the nation's presidency. That supplied Zuma's supporters in the party with the ammunition to depose Mbeki.
Mbeki, also 66, has presided over a lengthy period of economic growth in South Africa, attracting foreign investment. But few benefits have trickled down to the poor, triggering protests over services in townships across South Africa.
Investors have become used to the idea that Zuma might be the next president since he defeated Mbeki for the presidency of the ANC in December. Mbeki had sacked Zuma as South African vice president in 2005 after Zuma's financial advisor was convicted of soliciting a bribe on his behalf.
This month's judgment did not examine the substance of Zuma's fraud charges, but instead resulted in a dismissal because prosecuting procedures weren't followed. The National Prosecuting Authority has announced that it will appeal the decision.
After winning the party presidency, Zuma embarked on an international campaign to woo business and public opinion by pledging to leave economic policies intact. Investors, however, remain uncertain because Zuma's most powerful supporters in the unions are demanding a major shift to the left at a time when business and consumer confidence have slumped.
