Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
President of South Africa
Incumbent
Assumed office  14 June 1999
Vice President(s)	Jacob Zuma Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Preceded by	Nelson Mandela
Born	June 18, 1942 (1942-06-18) (age 65) Idutywa, Queenstown, Transkei
Political party	ANC
Spouse	Zanele Dlamini[1]

Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki ,KStJ ^[2][3] (born June 18, 1942)^[2] is the current President of the Republic of South Africa.^[2] Download high resolution version (480x641, 93 KB)President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, April 12, 1942) is deputy president of the governing political party, the African National Congress (ANC), and a former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. ... Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (born November 3, 1955) is the current Deputy President of South Africa. ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Idutywa is a town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, formerly part of the Transkei bantustan. ... Queenstown, situated in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is the commercial, administrative and educational centre of a prosperous farming district. ... Flag of Transkei bantustan Political Map of South Africa prior to 1994 Transkei, as of 1978 The Transkei — which means the area beyond the Kei River — is a region situated in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... This page deals with the order after its revival in the 19th century. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ...

Early years

Born and raised in what is now the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Mbeki is the son of Govan Mbeki (1910 – 2001), a stalwart of the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party. He is a native Xhosa speaker; his parents were both teachers and activists in a rural area of ANC strength, and Mbeki describes himself as "born into the struggle"; a portrait of Karl Marx sat on the family mantlepiece, and a portrait of Mohandas Gandhi was on the wall.^[4] He attended high school at Lovedale but was expelled as a result of the student strikes in 1959. He continued his studies at home and wrote his matriculation at St John's High School in Umtata that same year. Capital Bhisho Largest city Port Elizabeth Premier Nosimo Balindlela Area - Total Ranked 2nd 169,580 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd 6,436,761 38/km² Languages Xhosa (83%) Afrikaans (9. ... Govan Archibald Mvuyelwa Mbeki (1910 - 2001) was a South African politician, and father of Thabo Mbeki, the current President of South Africa. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... SACP symbol South African Communist Party (SACP) is a political party in South Africa. ... For the Xhosa people, see Xhosa. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a 19th century philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) (Devanagari: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी), called Mahatma Gandhi, was the charismatic leader who brought the cause of Indias independence from British colonial rule to... Lovedale was a mission station and educational institute in the Victoria East division of the Cape Province, South Africa (now in Eastern Cape Province). ... Umtata is a small town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, and was formerly the capital of the Transkei bantustan. ...

Govan Mbeki had come to the rural Eastern Cape as a political activist after earning two university degrees; he urged his family to make the ANC their family, and of his children, Thabo Mbeki is the one who most clearly followed that instruction, joining the party at age 14 and devoting his life to it thereafter.^[5][4] His cousin Phindile Mfeti disappeared without a trace during the apartheid era, and the family to this day does not know what happened to him.^[6] A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Exile and return

After leaving the Eastern Cape, he lived in Johannesburg, working with Walter Sisulu. After the arrest and imprisonment of Sisulu, Mandela and his father, and facing a similar fate, Thabo Mbeki left South Africa as one of a number of young ANC militants sent abroad to continue their education and their anti-apartheid activities. He ultimately spent 28 years in exile, only returning to his homeland after the release of Nelson Mandela. Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu Walter Max Ulyate Sisulu (May 18, 1912 – May 5, 2003) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress (ANC). ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ...

Mbeki spent the early years of his exile in the United Kingdom, earning a Master of Economics degree from the University of Sussex and then working in the ANC's London office on Penton Street. He received military training in what was then the Soviet Union and lived at different times in Botswana, Swaziland and Nigeria, but his primary base was in Lusaka, Zambia, the site of the ANC headquarters. Face-to-face trading interactions on the New York Stock Exchange trading floor. ... The University of Sussex (also known colloquially as Sussex Uni) is an English campus university which is situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, and is four miles from Brighton. ... Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. ... ANC redirects here. ...

While in exile, his brother Jama Mbeki was murdered by agents of the Lesotho government in 1982. His son Kwanda–the product of a liaison in Mbeki's teenage years–was killed while trying to leave South Africa to join his father. When Mbeki finally was able to return home to South Africa and was reunited with his own father, the elder Mbeki told a reporter, "You must remember that Thabo Mbeki is no longer my son. He is my comrade!" A news article pointed out that this was an expression of pride, explaining, "For Govan Mbeki, a son was a mere biological appendage; to be called a comrade, on the other hand, was the highest honour."^[4]

Mbeki devoted his life to the ANC and during his years in exile was given increased responsibility. Following the 1976 Soweto riots, a student uprising in the township outside Johannesburg, he initiated a regular radio broadcast from Lusaka, tieing ANC followers inside the country to their exiled leaders. Encouraging activists to keep up the pressure on the apartheid regime was a key component in the ANC's campaign to liberate their country. In the late 1970s Mbeki made a number of trips to the United States in search of support among U.S. corporations. Literate and funny, he made a wide circle of friends in New York City. Mbeki was appointed head of the ANC's information department in 1984 and then became head of the international department in 1989, reporting directly to Oliver Tambo, then President of the ANC. Tambo was Mbeki's long-time mentor. Oliver Reginald Tambo (27 October 1917 - 24 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC). ...

In 1985, Mbeki was a member of a delegation that began meeting secretly with representatives of the South African business community, and in 1989, he led the ANC delegation that conducted secret talks with the South African government. These talks led to the unbanning of the ANC and the release of political prisoners. He also participated in many of the other important discussions between the ANC and the government that eventually led to the democratisation of South Africa.^[3]

He became a deputy president of South Africa in May 1994 on the attainment of universal suffrage, and sole deputy-president in June 1996. He succeeded Nelson Mandela as ANC president in December 1997 and as president of the Republic in June 1999 (inaugurated on June 16); he was subsequently reelected for a second term in April 2004. Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, intelligence, or economic or social status. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Role in African politics

Mbeki has been a notably powerful figure in African politics, positioning South Africa as a regional powerbroker and also promoting the idea that African political conflicts should be solved by Africans. He headed the formation of both the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the African Union (AU) and has played influential roles in brokering peace deals in Rwanda, Burundi, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has also tried to popularise the concept of an African Renaissance. He sees African dependence on aid and foreign intervention as a major barrier to the continent being taken seriously in the world of economics and politics, and sees structures like NEPAD and the AU as part of a process in which Africa solves its own problems without relying on outside assistance. New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) is an economic development programme of the African Union. ... Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Largest city Cairo, Egypt Working languages Arabic English French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders  -  Chairman John Kufuor  -  Alpha Oumar Konaré Establishment  -  as the OAU May 25, 1963   -  as the African Union July 9, 2002  Area  -  Total 29... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... The African Renaissance is a concept popularized by South African President Thabo Mbeki in which the African people and nations are called upon to solve the many problems troubling the African continent. ...

Economic policies

The CIA Factbook says: "South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalising trade as means to increase job growth and household income."^[7]

Political style

Mbeki giving a speech to District Six land claimants in Cape Town

Mbeki has sometimes been characterised as remote and academic, although in his second campaign for Presidency in 2004, many observers described him as finally relaxing into a more traditional campaign mode, sometimes dancing at events and even kissing babies. Yet, the fact that this was remarkable confirms the broader observation that Mbeki values the exercise of centralised policy over demonstrations of grassroots populism. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (643x934, 419 KB) Picture taken of Thabo Mbeki in 2001 in District Six, Cape Town, on the occasion of one of a number of handing back District Six ceremonies. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (643x934, 419 KB) Picture taken of Thabo Mbeki in 2001 in District Six, Cape Town, on the occasion of one of a number of handing back District Six ceremonies. ...

Mbeki's thinking can often be found in his weekly column in the ANC newsletter ANC Today,^[8] where he often produces discussions on a variety of topics. He sometimes uses his column to deliver pointed invectives against political opponents, and at other times uses it as a kind of professor of political theory, educating ANC cadres on the intellectual justifications for ANC policy. Although these columns are remarkable for their dense prose, they often manage to make news. Although Mbeki does not generally make a point of befriending or courting reporters, his columns and news events have often yielded good results for his administration by ensuring that his message is a primary driving force of news coverage.^[9] Indeed, in initiating his columns, Mbeki stated his view that the bulk of South African media sources did not speak for or to the South African majority, and stated his intent to use ANC Today to speak directly to his constituents rather than through the media.^[10]

Mbeki and the Internet

Unlike many world leaders, Mbeki appears to be at ease with the Internet and willing to quote from it. For instance, in a column discussing Hurricane Katrina,^[11] he cited Wikipedia, quoted at length a discussion of Katrina's lessons on American inequality from the Native American publication Indian Country Today,^[12] and then included excerpts from a David Brooks column in the New York Times in a discussion of why the events of Katrina illustrated the necessity for global development and redistribution of wealth. This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ... Wikipedia (IPA: , or ( ) is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization. ... David Brooks, conservative commentator for the New York Times and other publications. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ...

His penchant for quoting diverse and sometimes obscure sources, both from the Internet and from a wide variety of books, makes his column an interesting parallel to political blogs although the ANC does not describe it in these terms. His views on AIDS (see below) were supported by Internet searching which led him to so-called "AIDS dissident" websites; in this case, Mbeki's use of the Internet was roundly criticised and even ridiculed by opponents. It has been suggested that Online diary be merged into this article or section. ... The AIDS reappraisal movement (or AIDS dissident movement) is a loosely-connected group of activists, journalists, citizens, scientists, researchers, and doctors who deny, challenge, or question, in various ways, the mainstream scientific consensus that the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the cause of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). ...

Controversies in Zimbabwe

Due to South Africa's proximity, strong trade links, and similar struggle credentials, South Africa is in a unique, and possibly solitary, position to influence politics in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's economic slide since 2000 has been a matter of increasing concern to Britain (as the former colonial power) and other donors to that country, and high-ranking diplomatic visits to South Africa have repeatedly attempted to persuade Mbeki to take a harder line with his once-comrade, Robert Mugabe, over violent attacks on political opponents and opposition movements, takeovers of private farms by groups of Mugabe-allied war veterans, freedom of the press, and independence of the judiciary. Mugabe redirects here. ...

To the concern of many, Mbeki has never publicly criticised Mugabe's policies - preferring 'quiet diplomacy' rather than 'megaphone diplomacy', his term for the West's increasingly forthright condemnation of Mugabe's rule.

To quote Mbeki - The point really about all this from our perspective has been that the critical role we should play is to assist the Zimbabweans to find each other, really to agree among themselves about the political, economic, social, other solutions that their country needs. We could have stepped aside from that task and then shouted, and that would be the end of our contribution...They would shout back at us and that would be the end of the story. I'm actually the only head of government that I know anywhere in the world who has actually gone to Zimbabwe and spoken publicly very critically of the things that they are doing.

2002 Presidential elections

Mugabe faced a critical presidential election in 2002. The runup was shadowed by a difficult decision to suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. The full meeting of the Commonwealth had failed in a consensus to decide on the issue, and they tasked the previous, present (at the time), and future leaders of Commonwealth - (respectively President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, John Howard of Australia, and Mbeki of South Africa) to come to a consensus between them over the issue. On March 20, 2002 (10 days after the elections, which Mugabe won) Howard announced that they had agreed to suspend Zimbabwe for a year. Politics of Zimbabwe Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Zimbabwe ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2007 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2007 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... General (rtd. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

2005 parliamentary elections

In the face of recent passage of laws restricting public assembly and freedom of the media, muzzling campaigning by the MDC for the 2005 Zimbabwe parliamentary elections, President Mbeki was quoted as saying: I have no reason to think that anything will happen … that anybody in Zimbabwe will act in a way that will militate against the elections being free and fair. [ ...] As far as I know, things like an independent electoral commission, access to the public media, the absence of violence and intimidation … those matters have been addressed. Poster of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change accusing the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front of election fraud Parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe on March 31, 2005. ...

Current deputy-president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (Minerals and Energy Minister at that time) led the largest foreign observer mission to oversee the elections. That observer mission congratulated the people of Zimbabwe for holding a peaceful, credible and well-mannered election which reflects the will of the people. Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (born November 3, 1955) is the current Deputy President of South Africa. ...

The elections were widely denounced and many who accused Zanu-PF of massive and often violent intimidation, using food to buy votes, and large discrepancies in the tallying of votes. The Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) has been the ruling party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU and renaming the party ZANU...

Dialogue between Zanu-PF and MDC

Mbeki has been attempting to restore dialogue between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in the face of denials from both parties. A fact-finding mission in 2004 by Congress of South African Trade Unions to Zimbabwe led to their widely-publicised deportation back to South Africa which reopened the debate, even within the ANC, as to whether Mbeki's policy of 'quiet diplomacy' is constructive. Mugabe redirects here. ... The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is a Zimbabwean political party now split. ... The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is a trade union federation in South Africa. ...

On February 5, 2006 Mbeki said in an interview with SABC television that Zimbabwe had missed a chance to resolve its political crisis in 2004 when secret talks to agree on a new constitution ended in failure. He claimed that he saw a copy of a new constitution signed by all parties.^[13] The job of promoting dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition was likely made more difficult by divisions within the MDC, splits to which the president alluded when he stated that the MDC were "sorting themselves out."^[14] In turn, the MDC unanimously rejected this assertion. MDC secretary general Welshman Ncube said "We never gave Mbeki a draft constitution - unless it was ZANU PF which did that. Mbeki has to tell the world what he was really talking about."^[15] is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Professor Welshman Ncube (born July 7, 1961) is a Zimbabwean politician and a leading member of the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change. ...

There were reports in May 2007 that Mbeki had been partisan and taken sides with Zanu-PF in his role as mediator. He had given pre-conditions to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change before the dialogue could resume while giving no conditions given to the government side. He has asked that the MDC be required to accept and recognize that Robert Mugabe was the president of Zimbabwe and that he won the 2002 elections^[16] despite the fact that they were fraudulent.^[17][18][19]

Business response

On January 10, 2006, businessman Warren Clewlow, who serves on the boards of four of the top 10 listed companies in SA, including Old Mutual, Sasol, Nedbank and Barloworld, said that government should stop its unsuccessful behind-the-scenes attempts to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis and start vociferously condemning what was happening in that country. Clewlow's sentiments, a clear indicator that the private sector is getting increasingly impatient with government's "quiet diplomacy" policy on Zimbabwe, were echoed by Business Unity SA (Busa), the umbrella body for all business organisations in the country.^[20] is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Old Mutual is a South African insurance company. ... Sasol (originally South African Steenkolen en Olie) is a South African company involved in mining, energy, chemicals and synfuels. ... Nedbank is one of the largest banks in South Africa, however it is one of the newest banks to be incorporated in South Africa. ... Barloworld (UCI Team Code: BAR) is a UCI Professional Continental cycling team based in the United Kingdom and participates in UCI Continental Circuits races and when selected as a wildcard to UCI ProTour events. ...

As the company's chairman, he said in Barloworld's latest annual report that SA's efforts to date were fruitless and that the only means for a solution was for SA "to lead from the front. Our role and responsibility is not just to promote discussion... Our aim must be to achieve meaningful and sustainable change."

Position on Mugabe

Mbeki has been criticized for having failed to exert pressure on Mr Mugabe to relinquish power.^[21] He rejected calls in May 2007 for tough action against Zimbabwe ahead of a visit by the UK Prime Minister at the time Tony Blair.^[22]He told on July 29, 2007 that Zimbabwe elections in March 2008 must be 'free and fair'.^[23] For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Politics of Zimbabwe takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Zimbabwe is both head of state and head of government. ...

Controversies

AIDS

Thabo Mbeki with George W. Bush

See also: AIDS reappraisal

Mbeki's views on the causes and treatment of AIDS have also been criticised. Most notably in April 2000 he defended a small group of dissident scientists who claim that AIDS is not caused by HIV. His government was applauded by AIDS activists for its successful legal defence against action brought by transnational pharmaceutical companies in April 2001 of a law that would allow cheaper locally-produced medicines. But since then, he and his administration have been repeatedly accused of failing to respond adequately to the epidemic. Current estimates suggest that 5.3 million South Africans have HIV. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... The AIDS reappraisal movement or AIDS dissident movement, pejoratively referred to as AIDS denialism, is a loosely connected group of activists, journalists, scientists, and HIV-positive persons who dispute the scientific consensus that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... Species Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Human immunodeficiency virus 2 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS, a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections). ...

AIDS advocates, particularly the Treatment Action Campaign and its allies, campaigned for a program to use anti-retroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child; and then for an overall national treatment program for AIDS that included antiretrovirals. Until 2003, South Africans with HIV who used the public sector health system could get treatment for opportunistic infections they suffered because of their weakened immune systems, but could not get antiretrovirals, designed to specifically target HIV. The Treatment Action Campaign is a South African grassroots pressure group which was founded by Zackie Achmat, an HIV-positive activist who refused anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs) until they were universally available. ... The term antiretroviral drugs is used to describe drugs used against HIV infection (HIV is an RNA retrovirus). ...

In the current South African system, the Cabinet can override the President. Although its votes are private, it appeared to have done so in votes to declare as Cabinet policy that HIV is the cause of AIDS; and then, in August 2003, in a promise to formulate a national treatment plan that would include ARVs. But the Health Ministry is still headed by Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has served as health minister since June 1999, and has promoted nutritional approaches to AIDS while highlighting potential toxicities of antiretroviral drugs. This led critics to question whether the same leadership that opposed ARV treatment would effectively carry out the treatment plan. Indeed, implementation has been slow and activists still criticise Mbeki's AIDS policies. Dr. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (born 9 October 1940) is the controversial Health Minister of South Africa under the government of Thabo Mbeki (as of 2007). ...

It is unclear what led Mbeki to hold unorthodox views of AIDS. While serving as deputy President, AIDS was in his portfolio, and he customarily wore a red ribbon while promoting more conventional views. He did preside over a controversial and brief embrace of a South African experimental drug called Virodene which later proved to be ineffective; the episode appeared to have increased his skepticism about the scientific consensus that quickly condemned the drug. Virodene is a controversial AIDS drug developed in South Africa, but rejected by the scientific community. ...

The largest shift in his views apparently came after he assumed the Presidency. He described AIDS as a "disease of poverty", arguing that political attention should be directed to poverty generally rather than AIDS specifically. Some speculate that the suspicion engendered by a life in exile and by the colonial domination and control of Africa led Mbeki to react against the idea of AIDS as another Western characterisation of Africans as promiscuous and Africa as a continent of disease and hopelessness.^[24] For example, speaking to a group of university students in 2001, he struck out against what he viewed as the racism underlying how many in the West characterised AIDS in Africa:

Convinced that we are but natural-born, promiscuous carriers of germs, unique in the world, they proclaim that our continent is doomed to an inevitable mortal end because of our unconquerable devotion to the sin of lust.^[25]

Additionally, his views dovetailed with some broader themes in African politics. Many Africans find it suspicious that black Africans bear the largest share of the AIDS burden, and that the drugs to treat it are expensive and sold mainly by Western pharmaceutical companies. The history of malicious and manipulative health policies of the colonial and apartheid governments in Africa, including biological warfare programs set up by the apartheid state, also help to fuel views that the scientific discourse of AIDS might be a tool for European and American political, cultural or economic agendas.

Whatever Mbeki's views of AIDS are now, ANC rules and his own commitment to the idea of party discipline mean that he cannot publicly criticise the current government policy that HIV causes AIDS and that antiretrovirals should be provided. Some critics of Mbeki assert that his personal views are not in accordance with this policy and still influence AIDS policy behind the scenes, a charge which his office regularly denies.^[26]

However, in a recently published biography "Thabo Mbeki: The Dream Deferred" the author describes how the president contacted the author earlier this year to ask whether he had seen a 100-page paper secretly authored by Mr Mbeki and distributed anonymously among the ANC leadership six years ago. This paper compared Aids scientists to latter-day Nazi concentration camp doctors and portrayed black people who accepted orthodox Aids science as "self-repressed" victims of a slave mentality. It describes the "HIV/Aids thesis" as entrenched in "centuries-old white racist beliefs and concepts about Africans". Mr Gevisser also describes how the president's view of the disease was shaped by an obsession with race, the legacy of colonialism and "sexual shame".

Crime

In January 2007 Mbeki said that fears of crime were exaggerated^[27]

Debate with Archbishop Tutu

In 2004 the Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu, criticised President Mbeki for surrounding himself with "yes-men", not doing enough to improve the position of the poor and for promoting economic policies that only benefited a small black elite. He also accused Mbeki and the ANC of suppressing public debate. Mbeki responded that Tutu had never been an ANC member and defended the debates that took place within ANC branches and other public forums. He also asserted his belief in the value of democratic discussion by quoting the Chinese slogan "let a hundred flowers bloom", referring to the brief Hundred Flowers Campaign within the Chinese Communist Party in 1956-57. In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Emeritus (IPA pronunciation: or ) is an adjective that is used in the title of a retired professor, bishop or other professional. ... Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - Total 2,499 km² (964. ... Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. ... For other uses, see Yes man (disambiguation). ... The Hundred Flowers Campaign, also termed the Hundred Flowers Movement, (Chinese: 百花运动, bÇŽihuā yùndòng) is the period referring to a brief interlude in the Peoples Republic of China from 1958 to 1966 during which the Communist Party authorities permitted or encouraged a variety of views and solutions...

The ANC Today newsletter featured several analyses of the debate, written by Mbeki and the ANC.^[28][29] The latter suggested that Tutu was an "icon" of "white elites", thereby suggesting that his political importance was overblown by the media; and while the article took pains to say that Tutu had not sought this status, it was described in the press as a particularly pointed and personal critique of Tutu. Tutu responded that he would pray for Mbeki as he had prayed for the officials of the apartheid government.^[30]

Mbeki, Zuma, and succession

Mbeki was praised abroad and by some South Africans, but criticised by many ANC members, over his 2005 firing of the deputy president, Jacob Zuma, after Zuma was implicated in a corruption scandal. In October 2005, a few Zuma supporters burned T-shirts portraying Mbeki's picture at a protest, inspiring condemnation from the ANC leadership. In late 2005, Zuma faced new rape charges, which dimmed his political prospects. But his supporters suggested that there was a Mbeki-led political conspiracy against him. There was visible split between Zuma's supporters and Mbeki's allies in the ANC. Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, April 12, 1942) is deputy president of the governing political party, the African National Congress (ANC), and a former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ...

Mbeki has been accused of hoping for a change to the Constitution of South Africa which would allow a third term in office, but he and other senior ANC members^{[attribution needed]} have always denied this. In February 2006, Mbeki told the SABC that he and the ANC have no intention to change the Constitution of the country. He stated, "By the end of the 2009, I will have been in a senior position in government for 15 years. I think that's too long."^[14] But he has no clear successor within the ANC, and the battle for this position is likely to be intense. The Zuma saga can be seen as an early round of a political drama which has already begun, at the start of Mbeki's second term. The current and official Constitution of the Republic of South Africa was adopted on 8 May 1996. ...

Mbeki, although barred by the Constitution of South Africa from seeking a third term as president of the country, in 2007 entered the race to be President of the ANC (no term limit exists for the position of ANC president), for a third term, in a close battle with Jacob Zuma. [1].

See also

• List of national leaders

This is a List of national leaders, showing heads of state and heads of government where different, mainly in parliamentary systems; it should be noted that often a leader is both in presidential systems or dictatorships. ...

References

See also Pieter Fourie, "The Political Management of HIV and AIDS in South Africa: One burden too many?" Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, ISBN 0230006671 Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 106th day of the year (107th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pronounced is known as a financial market data provider and a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Thabo Mbeki

• South African Government profile on Thabo Mbeki
• Mbeki: ANC official page His party's collection of Mbeki documents, biography and portrait.
• "Thabo Mbeki - a man of two faces" "The Economist" magazine profiles Mbeki. pay/member link
• The Guardian Profile The Guardian (UK) profiles Mbeki.
• A critical Zimbabwean view. Editorial comment from Zimbabwean website.
• AFP Profile Thabo Mbeki as seen by Agence France-Presse.
• "Today it feels good to be an African" - Thabo Mbeki, Cape Town, 8 May 1996
• No Shacks a project associated with Niall Mellon

v • d • e      Leaders of the political parties in the Parliament of South Africa
Thabo Mbeki (African National Congress) · Sandra Botha (Democratic Alliance) Patricia de Lille (Independent Democrats) · Mangosuthu Buthelezi (Inkatha Freedom Party) Bantu Holomisa (United Democratic Movement) · Kenneth Meshoe (African Christian Democratic Party) Pieter Mulder (Freedom Front Plus)

v • d • e Presidents of South Africa
1961–1994	ceremonial	Charles Robberts Swart · Jozua François Naudé (acting) · Jacobus Johannes Fouché · Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs · Marais Viljoen (acting) · B. J. Vorster · Marais Viljoen
	executive	Pieter Willem Botha · Frederik Willem de Klerk
1994–		Nelson Mandela · Thabo Mbeki

v • d • e Chairpersons of the Organization of African Unity and the African Union (AU)

Selassie · Nasser · Nkrumah · Ankrah · Selassie · Mobutu · Boumédienne · Ahidjo · Kaunda · Daddah · Hassan II · Gowon · Barre · Amin · Ramgoolam · Bongo · Nimeiry · Tolbert · Senghor · Stevens · Moi · Mengistu · Nyerere · Diouf · Nguesso · Kaunda · Traoré · Mubarak · Museveni · Babangida · Diouf · Mubarak · Ben Ali · Meles · Biya · Mugabe · Compaoré · Bouteflika · Eyadéma · Chiluba · Mwanawasa · Mbeki · Chissano · Obasanjo · Nguesso · Kufuor

v • d • e Pan-Africanism
Proponents	Politicians: Nnamdi Azikiwe · Amílcar Cabral · Muammar al-Gaddafi · Marcus Garvey · David Comissiong · Kenneth Kaunda · Jomo Kenyatta · Patrice Lumumba · Thabo Mbeki · Abdias do Nascimento · Kwame Nkrumah · Julius Nyerere · John Nyathi Pokela · Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia · Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe · Ahmed Sékou Touré · I.T.A. Wallace-Johnson · Others: Molefi Kete Asante · Steve Biko · Francis Ohanyido · Edward Wilmot Blyden · Cheikh Anta Diop · W. E. B. Du Bois · Frantz Fanon · Yosef Ben-Jochannan · Sankofa Juba · Maulana Karenga · Akwatu Khenti · Bob Marley · Malcolm X · Zephania Mothopeng · George Padmore · Dr Motsoko Pheko · Runoko Rashidi · Walter Rodney · Burning Spear · Henry Sylvester-Williams · Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) · Omali Yeshitela
Concepts	United States of Africa · Afrocentrism · Kwanzaa · Pan-African colours · Pan-African flag · Négritude · African nationalism · African socialism · African Century · Africanization · Kawaida  · Ujamaa  · Harambee  · Ubuntu  · Zikism Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... fact Image:NiallMelon. ... == == Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) was the last State President of Apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... The Deputy President of South Africa is appointed by the President of South Africa. ... Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, April 12, 1942) is deputy president of the governing political party, the African National Congress (ANC), and a former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (born September 3, 1948) is the third President of Zambia. ... The Chairperson of the African Union is chosen by the Assembly of the African Union, which consists of the heads of state of member countries, to serve a one-year term. ... Joaquim Chissano Joaquim Alberto Chissano (born 22 October 1939) served as the second President of Mozambique for nineteen years from 6 November 1986 until 2 February 2005. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Political parties in South Africa lists political parties in South Africa. ... The Parliament of South Africa is South Africas legislature and is composed of the National Assembly of South Africa and the National Council of Provinces. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... Celia-Sandra Botha is a South African politician who currently holds the position of Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance and its leader, Helen Zille. ... The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. ... Patricia de Lille is the leader of the Independent Democrats, a South African political party which she formed in 2003 when she broke away from the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). ... The Independent Democrats are a South African political party, formed by former Pan Africanist Congress member Patricia de Lille in 2003. ... Chief Mangosuthu (Gatsha)Ashpenaz Nathan Buthelezi (born August 27, 1928) is a South African Zulu leader, and leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) which he formed in 1975. ... The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is a political party in South Africa. ... Bantu Holomisa is a South African Member of Parliament representing the United Democratic Movement. ... The United Democratic Movement is a South African political party, formed by a prominent former National Party leader, Roelf Meyer (who has since resigned from the UDM) and former African National Congress and homeland leader, Bantu Holomisa in 1997. ... Dr. Kenneth Meshoe Kenneth Rasalabe Joseph Meshoe is a South African Christian Democratic politician. ... Developed by Abrie JF Kilian 14:23, 11 Nov 2004 (UTC) The ACDP in brief The African Christian Democratic Party is a political party in South Africa and form part of the International Political Christian Democratic Family. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Freedom Front Plus (Afrikaans: Vryheidsfront Plus) is a South African political party that aims to protect Afrikaner interests. ... This is a list of South African Prime Ministers. ... Vice State President of South Africa was a position established briefly between 1981 and 1984. ... The Deputy President of South Africa is appointed by the President of South Africa. ... This is a list of South African Prime Ministers. ... Louis Botha Louis Botha (September 17, 1862-August 27, 1919) was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the modern South African state, then called the Union of South Africa. ... Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, PC, ED, KC, FRS (May 24, 1870 – September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader, and philosopher. ... Cover of Time Magazine (April 27, 1925) James Barry Munnik Hertzog, better known as Barry Hertzog, (1866-1942) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924 to 1939. ... Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, PC, ED, KC, FRS (May 24, 1870 – September 11, 1950) was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader, and philosopher. ... Daniel François Malan Daniel François Malan (22 May 1874 – 7 February 1959) was a Prime Minister of South Africa. ... Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom (15 July 1893 - 24 August 1958) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 30 November 1954 to 24 August 1958. ... Hendrik Verwoerd Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (Amsterdam, 8 September 1901 – Cape Town, 6 September 1966) was Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966. ... B. J. Vorster Balthazar Johannes Vorster (December 13, 1915 - September 10, South Africa from 1966 to 1978, and President from 1978 to 1979. ... Pieter Willem Botha (January 12, 1916 – October 31, 2006), commonly known as PW and Die Groot Krokodil (Afrikaans for The Big Crocodile), was the prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and the first executive state president from 1984 to 1989. ... Vice State President of South Africa was a position established briefly between 1981 and 1984. ... Alwyn Schlebusch (born 1917) was the only holder of the title Vice State President of South Africa from 1 January 1981 to 14 September 1984. ... The Deputy President of South Africa is appointed by the President of South Africa. ... == == Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) was the last State President of Apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (born Inkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, April 12, 1942) is deputy president of the governing political party, the African National Congress (ANC), and a former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa. ... Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (born November 3, 1955) is the current Deputy President of South Africa. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... From 1961 to 1994, South Africas head of state was called the State President or Staatspresident in Afrikaans. ... Charles Robberts Swart (1894 - 1982) was the last Governor-General of the Union of South Africa and the first State President of the Republic of South Africa. ... Jozua François Naudé was acting State President of South Africa from 1967 to 1968. ... Jacobus Johannes (Jim) Fouché (6 June 1898 - 1980) was State President of South Africa from 10 January, 1968 to 10 April, 1975. ... Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs was State President of South Africa from 1975 to 1978. ... Marais Viljoen (2 December 1915 - 4 January 2007) was the last non-executive State President of South Africa from June 4, 1979 until September 3, 1984. ... B. J. Vorster Balthazar Johannes Vorster (December 13, 1915 - September 10, South Africa from 1966 to 1978, and President from 1978 to 1979. ... Marais Viljoen (2 December 1915 - 4 January 2007) was the last non-executive State President of South Africa from June 4, 1979 until September 3, 1984. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa_1928-1994. ... Pieter Willem Botha (January 12, 1916 – October 31, 2006), commonly known as PW and Die Groot Krokodil (Afrikaans for The Big Crocodile), was the prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and the first executive state president from 1984 to 1989. ... == == Frederik Willem de Klerk (born March 18, 1936) was the last State President of Apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994. ... The President of South Africa, in full, the President of the Republic of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Flag of the Organisation of African Unity, later also used by the African Union. ... Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Largest city Cairo, Egypt Working languages Arabic English French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders  -  Chairman John Kufuor  -  Alpha Oumar Konaré Establishment  -  as the OAU May 25, 1963   -  as the African Union July 9, 2002  Area  -  Total 29... Haile Selassie I KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO (Geez: , Power of the Trinity; July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was de jure Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and de facto from 1916 to 1936 and 1941 to 1974. ... Gamal Abdel Nasser (Arabic: - ; Masri: جمال عبد الناصر - also transliterated as Jamal Abd al-Naser, Jamal Abd an-Nasser and other variants; January 15, 1918 – September 28, 1970) was the President of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. ... Kwame Nkrumah (September 21, 1909 - April 27, 1972)[1], one of the most influential Pan-Africanists of the 20th century, served as the founder, and first President of Ghana. ... Joseph Arthur Ankrah (born 1915) was a Ghanaian general and political figure. ... Haile Selassie I KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO (Geez: , Power of the Trinity; July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was de jure Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and de facto from 1916 to 1936 and 1941 to 1974. ... Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (October 14, 1930 – September 7, 1997), known commonly as Mobutu, or Mobutu Sese Seko, born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) for 32 years (1965–1997), in which he rose to power... Houari Boumédienne (original name Mohamed Ben Brahim Boukharouba) (August 23, 1932 – December 27, 1978) (Arabic: هواري بومدين) served as as Algerias in his position as as Chairman of the Revolutionary Council from 19 June 1965 until 12 December 1976, and from then on as President of Algeria to his death... Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo (24 August 1924 - 30 November 1989) was the president of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982. ... Kenneth David Kaunda, commonly known as KK (born April 28, 1924) served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991. ... Moktar Ould Daddah Moktar Ould Daddah (Arabic: مختار ولد داده; December 25, 1924 - October 14, 2003) was the President of Mauritania from 1960, when his country gained its independence from France, to 1978, when he was deposed in a military coup detat. ... King Hassan, pictured late in life. ... General Yakubu Jack Dan-Yumma Gowon (born October 19, 1934) was the head of state (Head of the Federal Military Government) of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975. ... Mohamed Siad Barre (Somali: Maxamed Siyaad Barre) (1919 – January 2, 1995) was the Head of State of Somalia from 1969 to 1991. ... Idi Amin Dada (mid-1920s[1]–16 August 2003) was an army officer and president of Uganda. ... Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (शिवसागर रामगुलाम), LRCP, MRCS (1900–1985) was the Prime Minister of Mauritius from 1961 until 1982. ... El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo on 30 December 1935) became President of Gabon in 1967. ... Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise known as Jaafar Nimeiry, Gaafar Nimeiry or Gafar Muhammad an-Numayri; born 1 January 1930) (Arabic: جعفر محمد النميري) was the President of Sudan from 1971 to 1985. ... William Richard Tolbert, Jr. ... Léopold Sédar Senghor (October 9, 1906 – December 20, 2001) was a Senegalese poet and politician who served as the first president of Senegal (1960–1980). ... Siaka Probyn Stevens (August 24, 1905–May 29, 1988) was the President of Sierra Leone from 1971 to 1985. ... Daniel Toroitich arap Moi (born September 2, 1924) was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002. ... Mengistu Haile Mariam (IPA: //) (born 1937[3][4]) was the most prominent officer of the Derg, the military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the president of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. ... Julius Kambarage Nyerere (April 13, 1922 - October 14, 1999) was President of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika, from the countrys founding in 1964 until his retirement in 1985. ... Abdou Diouf (Wolof: ) (born September 7, 1935) was the second president of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. ... Time in Office 18 March 1977 – 3 April 1977 (part of the Military Committee of the Congolese Labour Party); 8 February 1979 – 3 August 1992 (first time); 25 October 1997 – Predecessor Marien Ngouabi (as a part of the Military Committee of the CLP); Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya (first time... Kenneth David Kaunda, commonly known as KK (born April 28, 1924) served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991. ... Moussa Traoré (born 25 September 1936) is a Malian soldier and politician. ... Muhammad Hosni Said Mubarak (Arabic: محمد حسنى سيد مبارك Muḥammad ḤusnÄ« Mubārak), commonly known as Hosni Mubarak (Arabic: حسنى مبارك ḤusnÄ« Mubārak), has been the President of Egypt since 14 October 1981. ... Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (born c. ... General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (born August 17, 1941), popularly known as IBB, was the military ruler of Nigeria from August 1985 until his departure from office under heavy popular pressure in 1993, after his annulment of elections held that year which were widely held to have been the freest and... Abdou Diouf (Wolof: ) (born September 7, 1935) was the second president of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. ... Muhammad Hosni Said Mubarak (Arabic: محمد حسنى سيد مبارك Muḥammad ḤusnÄ« Mubārak), commonly known as Hosni Mubarak (Arabic: حسنى مبارك ḤusnÄ« Mubārak), has been the President of Egypt since 14 October 1981. ... General Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (زين العابدين بن علي; born in Hammam-Sousse on September 3, 1936) is the President of the Tunisian Republic since 7 November 1987 and only the second one since its independence from France on 20 March 1956. ... Meles Zenawi (Geez መለስ ዜናዊ meles zÄ“nāwÄ«, b. ... President Paul Biya of Cameroon with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, New York, 16 September 2002 Paul Biya (born 13 February 1933) has been the President of Cameroon since 1982. ... Mugabe redirects here. ... Blaise Compaoré (born February 3, 1951) has been the president of Burkina Faso since 1987. ... Abdelaziz Bouteflika (IPA: ) (Arabic: عبد العزيز بوتفليقة) (born March 2, 1937 in Oujda, Morocco) has been the President of Algeria since 1999. ... Gnassingbé Eyadéma - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba (born April 30, 1943) served as the President of Zambia from 1991 to 2002, when Zambians elected former Vice President Levy Mwanawasa as his successor. ... Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (born September 3, 1948) is the third President of Zambia. ... Joaquim Chissano Joaquim Alberto Chissano (born 22 October 1939) served as the second President of Mozambique for nineteen years from 6 November 1986 until 2 February 2005. ... General (rtd. ... Time in Office 18 March 1977 – 3 April 1977 (part of the Military Committee of the Congolese Labour Party); 8 February 1979 – 3 August 1992 (first time); 25 October 1997 – Predecessor Marien Ngouabi (as a part of the Military Committee of the CLP); Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya (first time... ĘýṚύ John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born in Kumasi December 8, 1938) is the current president of Ghana, since January 7, 2001. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_African_Union. ... For political parties with similar names in other countries, see Northern Rhodesian African National Congress and Zambian African National Congress. ... John Langalibalele Dube (1871 - 1946) was a South Africanessayist, philosopher, educator, politician, publisher, editor, novelist and poet. ... Sefako Mapogo Makgatho (1861-23 May 1951) was a South African politician. ... Pixley ka Isaka Seme (October 1, 1881-1951) was a founder and President of the African National Congress. ... Alfred Bitini Xuma (1893? - 1962), South African leader & activist; president of African National Congress (ANC) from 1940 to 1949. ... Albert John Lutuli (also known by his Zulu name Mvumbi; his surname is sometimes and probably more phonetically spelt Luthuli) (1898? – 21 July 1967) was a South African teacher and politician. ... Oliver Reginald Tambo (27 October 1917 - 24 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and a central figure in the African National Congress (ANC). ... For other people named Mandela, or other uses, see Mandela. ... Pan-Africanism is a term which can have two separate, but related meanings. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 407 pixel Image in higher resolution (2759 × 1404 pixel, file size: 55 KB, MIME type: image/png) this is a boring map of africa!!!!!!!!!!!! World map depicting Africa; map adapted from PDF world map at CIA World Fact Book File... Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (November 16, 1904 – May 11, 1996), usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe, or, informally and popularly, as Zik, was the founder of modern Nigerian nationalism and the first President of Nigeria, holding the position throughout the Nigerian First Republic. ... Amílcar Lopes Cabral (September 21, 1924 – January 20, 1973) was an African agronomic engineer, writer and nationalist politician. ... Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi1 (Arabic:   ) (born c. ... Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr. ... Is a Barbadian born political activist founder of the Clement Payne Movement and once served as head of the governments commision for Pan-African affairs. ... Kenneth David Kaunda, commonly known as KK (born April 28, 1924) served as the first President of Zambia, from 1964 to 1991. ... Jomo Kenyatta (October 20, 1889 – August 22, 1978) served as the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of Kenya. ... Patrice Émery Lumumba (2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was an African anti-colonial leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped to win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. ... Abdias do Nascimento (b. ... Kwame Nkrumah (September 21, 1909 - April 27, 1972)[1], one of the most influential Pan-Africanists of the 20th century, served as the founder, and first President of Ghana. ... Julius Kambarage Nyerere (April 13, 1922 - October 14, 1999) was President of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika, from the countrys founding in 1964 until his retirement in 1985. ... John Nyathi Poks Pokela (1922[1] or 1923[2]–June 1985) was a South African political activist and Chairman of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). ... Haile Selassie I KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO (Geez: , Power of the Trinity; July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was de jure Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 and de facto from 1916 to 1936 and 1941 to 1974. ... Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe (1924 – 27 February 1978) was a South African political dissident, who founded the Pan African Congress in opposition to the Apartheid regime. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Isaac Theophilus Akunna Wallace-Johnson (1895–May 10, 1965) was a British West African workers leader, journalist, and politician. ... Molefi Kete Asante (born August 14, 1942) is a contemporary African American scholar in the field of African studies and African American Studies. ... Steve Bantu Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977) was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and early 1970s. ... Francis Ohanyido (born March 4, 1970) is an African philosopher, poet, essayist, public health Physician, and activist. ... Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912) was an educator, writer, diplomat, and politician in Liberia and Sierra Leone. ... Book Cover The African origins of civilization Cheikh Anta Diop (29 December 1923–7 February 1986) was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, and staunch defender of the world view known as Afrocentricity, which places emphasis on the human races African origins and on the study of pre-colonial African culture... William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (pronounced [1]) (February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an African American civil rights activist, leader, Pan-Africanist, sociologist, educator, historian, writer, editor, poet, and scholar. ... Frantz Fanon (July 20, 1925 – December 6, 1961) was an author from Martinique, essayist, psychoanalyst, and revolutionary. ... Yosef A.A. Ben-Jochannan (born December 24, 1918, Gondar, Ethiopia) is an American historian. ... Dr. Ron Karenga Dr. Ron Karenga (Maulana Ron Karenga, Maulana Karenga, Ron Ndabezitha Everett-Karenga, Ron N. Everett) is an author and activist best known as the founder of the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa, first celebrated in California, December 26, 1966 to January 1, 1967. ... This article is about the reggae musician. ... Malcolm X, born Malcolm Little, also known as Detroit Red and Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Omaha, Nebraska, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 in New York City) was a Muslim Minister and National Spokesman for the Nation of Islam. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... George Padmore (1902-1959), born Malcolm Nurse was a Trinidadian communist and later a leading Pan-Africanist with anti-communist sympathies. ... Dr. Motsoko Pheko Dr. Motsoko Pheko is the president of the P.A.C. (Pan Africanist Congress) in Azania. ... Runoko Rashidi is an historian, research specialist, writer, world traveler, and public lecturer based in Los Angeles. ... Walter Rodney (March 23, 1942 - June 13, 1980) was a prominent Guyanese historian and political figure. ... Jah man! Winston Rodney (born March 1, 1948) a. ... Henry Sylvester Williams (Feb. ... Carmichael amidst a demonstration near the United States Capitol protesting the House of Representatives action denying Rep. ... Omali Yeshitela Omali Yeshitela is a longtime civil rights activist from St. ... The United States of Africa is a name sometimes given to one version of the possible future unification of Africa as a national and sovereign federation of states similar in formation to the United States of America, mirroring the idea of the United States of Europe. ... see African studies for the study of African culture and history in Africa. ... Kwanzaa (or Kwaanza) is a week-long Pan-African festival primarily honoring African-American heritage. ... African coutries using Pan-African colours in their flags, shown in red. ... The Red, Black and Green flag designed by the UNIA in 1920. ... Négritude is a literary and political movement developed in the 1930s by a group that included the future Senegalese President Léopold Sédar Senghor, Martinican poet Aimé Césaire, and Léon Damas. ... African nationalism is the nationalist political movement for one united Africa, or the lesser goal of the recognition of African tribes by establishing their own state and preservation of their native cultures. ... African socialism is a belief in sharing economic resources in a traditional African way, as distinct from classical socialism. ... The African Century is a term that has a variety of meanings. ... Africanization, as used in this article, refers to the modification of place names or personal names to better reflect an African identity. ... African Philosophy is a disputed term, used in different ways by different philosophers. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Harambee is Kenyan tradition of community self-help events, eg. ... Look up ubuntu in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Zikism is the system of political thought attributed to the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria and the first President of Nigeria. ...
Organizations and movements	African Union (OAU) · AAPRP · Uhuru Movement · UNIA-ACL · African Unification Front · African diaspora Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Largest city Cairo, Egypt Working languages Arabic English French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders  -  Chairman John Kufuor  -  Alpha Oumar Konaré Establishment  -  as the OAU May 25, 1963   -  as the African Union July 9, 2002  Area  -  Total 29... Flag of the Organisation of African Unity, later also used by the African Union. ... // The All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) is a group of socialist that was founded by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. ... The Uhuru Movement is a group of organizations who are fighting for the Afro-American peoples rights. ... The Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA) is an international self-help organization founded by Marcus Garvey. ... The African Unification Front is an organisation aiming to promote a political, social and economic union in Africa. ... The African diaspora is the diaspora created by the movements and cultures of Africans and their descendants throughout the world, to places such as the Americas, (including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America); Europe and Asia. ...