Mbeki fires deputy in corruption scandal

[muriel_volestrangler]

South Africa's deputy president, Jacob Zuma, who was tipped to become the next leader of Africa's economic powerhouse, was dismissed yesterday after being implicated in a corruption scandal.

Mr Zuma's fall from grace will trigger a struggle to succeed the president, Thabo Mbeki, and threatens to open a rift in the ANC.

The deputy president has not been charged or convicted of any crime but his reputation was tarnished after his friend and financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was found guilty of corruption and fraud.
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Tony Leon, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, said: "We have shown the world that South Africa is not among those nations who allow corruption to unravel the fabric of their country's soul."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafrica/story/0,13262,1506582,00.html

The general opinion seems to be that it was a good, but tough, decision, though Zuma has some support in the unions and ANC youth groups:

Praise for sacking of SA's Zuma

"In a young democracy like ours, it's all about setting solid precedents that will stand our society in good stead decades and even generations from now," The Star newspaper said in its Wednesday editorial.
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"It is a very important move which shows we realise some of our pitfalls and we will not wait on US President Bush and British Prime Minister Blair to tell us what should be done for us to get more aid," Zambian Finance Minister Ng'andu Magande told Reuters news agency.

Kenyan Planning and National Development Minister Peter Anyang Nyongo said "Thabo Mbeki has clearly demonstrated that nobody is too high up in the official hierarchy of power not to be subjected to the rule of law".
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Former President Nelson Mandela said that while he was "deeply saddened that (Zuma) who played such a major contribution in our liberation and democracy had to come to this point in his life and career, we fully support the president in the difficult times in the life of our government, nation and organisation."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4094532.stm