H.
E. Thabo Mvuyelwa MBEKI
President
of the Republic of South Africa
People
like to identify H. E. Thabo Mbeki as an independent
and original thinker, but one who remains close to the
more visible leadership. His profile as a policy
shaper and mediator in the movement has been built up
over a lifetime of involvement. "I was born into the
struggle," he says. His birth took place in Idutywa,
Transkei, in June 1942. Both of his parents were
teachers and activists. His father is a university
graduate and there were many books in his home which
Thabo read at an early age. Govan Mbeki was a leading
figure in ANC activities in the Eastern Cape.
Believing that sooner or later they would be arrested,
Mbeki's parents decided that family and friends would
also be responsible for bringing up the children.
Mbeki therefore spent long periods away from home.
He
joined the Youth League at 14 and quickly became
active in student politics. After his schooling at
Lovedale was interrupted by a strike in 1959, he
completed his studies at home. Thereafter he moved to
Johannesburg where he came under the guidance of
Walter Sisulu and Duma Nokwe.
While
studying for his British A-levels he was elected
secretary of the African Students' Association (ASA).
He went on to study economics as a correspondence
student with London University. The ASA collapsed
following the arrest of many of its members, at a time
when political movements were coming under
increasingly severe attack from the state. Mbeki's
father was arrested at Rivonia and sentenced to life
imprisonment.
For more background and copies of speeches visit the
source: http://www.anc.org.za/people/mbeki.html
He
left the country in 1962 under orders from the ANC.
From Tanzania he moved to Britain where he completed a
Masters degree in economics at Sussex University in
1966. Remaining active in student politics, he played
a prominent role in building the youth and student
sections of the ANC in exile. Following his studies he
worked at the London office with the late Oliver Tambo
and Yusuf Dadoo before being sent to the Soviet Union
in 1970 for military training. Later that year he
arrived in Lusaka where he was soon appointed
assistant secretary of the Revolutionary Council. In
1973-74 he was in Botswana holding discussions with
the Botswana government about opening an ANC office
there. In 1975 he was acting ANC representative in
Swaziland. Appointed to the NEC in 1975, he served as
ANC representative to Nigeria until 1978.
On his
return to Lusaka he became political secretary in the
office of Oliver Tambo, and then director of
information. From this position he played a major role
in turning the international media against apartheid.
His other role in the '70s was in building the ANC in
Swaziland and underground structures inside the
country. During the '80s Mbeki rose to head the
department of information and publicity and
co-ordinated diplomatic campaigns to involve more
white South Africans in anti-apartheid activities.
When delegations of sports, business and cultural
representatives visited Lusaka for talks they all
expressed surprise to meet a man deeply engaged in the
issues they brought to the table.
From
1989 Mbeki headed the ANC Department of International
Affairs, and was a key figure in the ANC's
negotiations with the former government. Mbeki was
hand-picked by Nelson Mandela after the April 1994
general election to be the first Deputy President of
the new Government of National Unity. After the
National Party withdrew from the Government of
National Unity in June 1996, Thabo Mbeki became the
sole Deputy President. At the African National
Congress 50th National Conference in Mafikeng in
December 1997, Thabo Mbeki became the new President of
the African National Congress.
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