Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki: Life and Political Career
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (Xhosa: [tʰaɓɔ mbɛːkʼi]; born 18 June 1942) is a prominent South African politician, serving as the second democratic president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 until 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the behest of his party, the African National Congress (ANC). Prior to his presidency, Mbeki was the deputy president under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999.
Early Life and Education
1942–60: Eastern Cape
Thabo Mbeki was born on 18 June 1942 in Mbewuleni, a small village in the former homeland of Transkei, now part of the Eastern Cape. He was the second of four children, with one sister, Linda (1941-2003), and two brothers, Moeletsi (born 1945) and Jama (1948-1982). His parents, Epainette (d. 2014) and Govan Mbeki (d. 2001), were influential figures; Govan was a respected shopkeeper, teacher, journalist, and senior activist in both the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP), while Epainette was a trained teacher. Govan’s political activism significantly influenced Thabo’s upbringing, with their home adorned with portraits of Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi.
Thabo began his formal education in 1948, the same year the National Party came to power, instituting apartheid. He attended Lovedale Institute, a prestigious mission school, where he joined the ANC Youth League at fourteen and later became the secretary of its Lovedale branch in 1958. However, in his final year, he was expelled for participating in a school boycott but still managed to complete his matric exams with a second-class pass.
1960–62: Johannesburg
In 1960, Mbeki moved to Johannesburg to further his education and joined the African Students’ Association as national secretary. Here, he lived with ANC secretary-general Duma Nokwe. Despite the banning of the ANC, Mbeki remained politically active, joining the SACP during this period. After multiple detentions while attempting to leave South Africa, he successfully reached Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1962, before proceeding to England.
Exile and Early Career
1962–69: England
Mbeki enrolled at the University of Sussex, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in economics and development. During his time in England, he engaged in extensive political work for the ANC and the Anti-Apartheid Movement. His father’s imprisonment during the Rivonia Trial profoundly affected him, driving his dedication to the anti-apartheid cause. In London, he worked full-time for the ANC’s propaganda section and remained active in the SACP, contributing to its official magazine, the African Communist.
1969–71: Soviet Union
In 1969, Mbeki received Marxist-Leninist training at the Lenin Institute in Moscow, where he excelled and was appointed to the SACP’s Central Committee. His training included military tactics, although he was better suited for political leadership. By 1971, he was stationed in Lusaka, Zambia, where the ANC had established its headquarters. He served as administrative secretary to the ANC Revolutionary Council and later in the propaganda section, becoming a member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee in 1975.
1971–75: Lusaka and Swaziland
Mbeki’s role expanded in Lusaka, where he began ghostwriting for ANC president Oliver Tambo and played a key role in establishing the ANC’s presence in Botswana and Swaziland. In Swaziland, he worked closely with Jacob Zuma to re-establish underground ANC networks in South Africa. His diplomatic skills were evident when he managed to avoid deportation to South Africa by negotiating his and his colleagues’ transfer to Mozambique.
1976–80: Nigeria and Political Secretary
After being deported from Swaziland, Mbeki was posted to Lagos, Nigeria, where he established strong relations with the Nigerian government. On his return to Lusaka in 1978, he was promoted to head of the ANC’s Department of Information and Propaganda and appointed Tambo’s political secretary. His work in publicizing the ANC’s cause and transforming its image was pivotal, as he engaged openly with international media and established high-level intelligence networks.
Rise to National Leadership
1994–99: Deputy President
Mbeki returned to South Africa in 1990 after the unbanning of the ANC. Following the first democratic elections in 1994, he became the national deputy president under Nelson Mandela. His tenure as deputy president was marked by his stewardship of the Growth, Employment and Redistribution policy (GEAR), which emphasized market-friendly economic policies. Mbeki’s role in government solidified his position as Mandela’s chosen successor, leading to his unopposed election as ANC president in 1997 and subsequent rise to the presidency in 1999.
Presidency (1999–2008)
As president, Mbeki continued to advocate for conservative macroeconomic policies, resulting in economic growth, falling public debt, and a narrowing budget deficit. However, his policies were often criticized for being neoliberal, with insufficient focus on developmental and redistributive goals, causing friction with the left wing of the ANC and its Tripartite Alliance partners.
Mbeki’s presidency was characterized by his strong focus on foreign policy, particularly his vision for an “African renaissance” and Pan-Africanism. He was instrumental in the creation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism, and as the first chairperson of the African Union, he emphasized multilateralism and the need for reforms in global institutions like the United Nations.
One of Mbeki’s most controversial policies was his approach to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. His government delayed the introduction of a national mother-to-child transmission prevention program until mandated by the Constitutional Court in 2002 and did not make antiretroviral therapy widely available until late 2003. These delays have been estimated to have caused hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths. Mbeki and his Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, have been described as AIDS denialists for their skepticism about the link between HIV and AIDS and their focus on alternative causes and treatments for the disease.
Mbeki’s foreign policy also included a contentious approach to Zimbabwe, where he practiced “quiet diplomacy” and refrained from condemning Robert Mugabe’s regime, despite widespread international criticism.
Political Decline
Mbeki’s political decline began at the ANC’s Polokwane conference in December 2007, where he was replaced as ANC president by Jacob Zuma. In September 2008, the ANC National Executive Committee requested Mbeki’s resignation following a court judgment alleging political interference in the National Prosecuting Authority, particularly regarding corruption charges against Zuma. Mbeki resigned on 20 September 2008, and was succeeded by Kgalema Motlanthe as interim president. The court judgment was later overturned, but Mbeki’s political career had already been significantly impacted.
Legacy
Thabo Mbeki’s tenure as president of South Africa was marked by significant economic achievements and a strong emphasis on African unity and development. However, his controversial policies on HIV/AIDS and Zimbabwe, along with his economic approach, drew significant criticism and created divisions within the ANC. His contributions to the ANC’s struggle against apartheid and his efforts to position South Africa as a key player on the global stage remain central to his legacy.