Seminar Summary Report “Mbeki’s Dramatic Departure from the Union Buildings – What Implications for South Africa”

This report summarizes a seminar held on 1 October 2008 at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Addis Ababa Office regarding the recall of President Thabo Mbeki by the African National Congress (ANC) and the resulting implications for South Africa and the African continent.

• The official reason for the ANC's decision to recall Thabo Mbeki was his implication in the high court case against ANC president Jacob Zuma, but the presenter argued the actual motivation was to maintain a strong and united ruling party.
• Despite concerns that Mbeki's recall could lead to ANC fragmentation and the formation of a new party, the presenter viewed this as unlikely because Mbeki's acceptance of the National Executive Committee's decision demonstrated his priority for party cohesion.
• The administration of President Motlanthe has worked to reassure international partners and South Africans that previous policies will remain unchanged, evidenced by the retention of key cabinet members in the Ministry of Finance and Trade and Industry and a national address on 28 September 2008.
• The recall of Mbeki was deemed consistent with constitutional practice because the ANC used the term "recall" rather than "dismiss" or "remove," and Mbeki submitted his resignation to Parliament.
• Mbeki's departure from the presidency presents a dual possibility for his mediation role in Africa: it may allow him to dedicate more personal skill to mediating conflicts, or he may lose influence if the ANC diverges from his previous diplomatic achievements.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). Seminar Summary Report “Mbeki’s Dramatic Departure from the Union Buildings – What Implications for South Africa”. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MBEKISEMREP011008.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Seminar Summary Report “Mbeki’s Dramatic Departure from the Union Buildings – What Implications for South Africa”. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MBEKISEMREP011008.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Seminar Summary Report “Mbeki’s Dramatic Departure from the Union Buildings – What Implications for South Africa” |date=1 October 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MBEKISEMREP011008.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008seminar, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Seminar Summary Report “Mbeki’s Dramatic Departure from the Union Buildings – What Implications for South Africa”}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = oct, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/MBEKISEMREP011008.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }