S Africa's ANC 'will not split'

Mr Manuel is see as the architect of South Africa's recent economic success

South Africa's Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has dismissed the possibility of a split within the governing party.

He told the BBC there would be continuity despite some government resignations following ex-President Thabo Mbeki's controversial ousting.

Earlier, the head of Gauteng province also resigned over the decision by the African National Congress to force Mr Mbeki to leave office last week.

New leader Kgalema Motlanthe has been trying to ensure a smooth transition.

Mr Mbeki quit after a court ruling suggested he had tried to influence the prosecution on corruption charges of Jacob Zuma, head of the ANC. He denies interfering in the case.

Mr Zuma, who is favourite to become president in elections due next year, has been locked in a power struggle with Mr Mbeki and there have been rumours of the ANC splitting.

Meanwhile, prosecutors say they have filed papers asking for the right to appeal against a ruling that dismissed the corruption charges against Mr Zuma.

'Shock'

Mr Manuel told the BBC's Hardtalk programme that he has had an "unequivocal assurance" from Mr Motlanthe that South Africa's economic strategy and policy would not change.

We shouldn't be too melodramatic Finance Minister Trevor Manuel

The finance minister, viewed as the architect of South Africa's recent economic success, initially resigned last week, but has accepted a position in the new cabinet.

He said that over the next few weeks there would be a few other resignations, like that of Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa.

"There's likely to be some steadying of the ship over the next period. And as that happens individuals would choose to depart," Mr Manuel said, rejecting rumours of a party split.

"I can't for a moment believe that there's anybody in their right minds who would want us to abandon the source of our sustainable growth over more than a decade, to abandon that on the altar of some populism".

Mr Shilowa had said he did not feel he could publicly defend the party's decision to order Mr Mbeki's removal.

When Mr Manuel was asked whether he thought ex-President Mbeki had been badly treated he said: "The short answer is yes. I think that we should have seen through his term until the next election."

But he said that although it had come as a shock, "these things happen in politics".

"I think that part of what we're dealing with is the normalisation of politics in South Africa.

"So we shouldn't be too melodramatic about it. It's part of the normalisation."

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HARDtalk will be broadcast on Tuesday 30 September at 0330 GMT, 0830 GMT, 1430 GMT, 2030 GMT and 2230 GMT on BBC World News and at 0430 GMT and 2330 GMT on BBC News channel.