ANC leaders to discuss Mbeki role

Leading members of South Africa's ruling African National Congress are meeting over the next three days to discuss President Thabo Mbeki's future.

It comes after a court ruling implied there had been political interference in the decision to charge his political rival, Jacob Zuma, with corruption.

The case against ANC leader Mr Zuma was thrown out of court last week.

Some of Mr Zuma's supporters say President Mbeki should now go or be forced from office.

The ANC's National Executive Committee, which is due to discuss the issue and is made up of mainly Mr Zuma's supporters, cannot force Mr Mbeki to resign as president.

But correspondents say that if cannot persuade him to go they may opt to take their battle to parliament.

'Titanic struggle'

HAVE YOUR SAY
"Mbeki has not resonated with the voters or his critics"
Pancha, Brussels, Belgium
Send us your comments

The BBC's Peter Biles in Johannesburg says South Africa is in a state of flux.

Mr Mbeki lost the leadership of the ANC to Mr Zuma last December.

Mr Zuma will be the party's presidential candidate in elections, expected in the first half of next year.

Mr Mbeki's position has been further weakened after the suggestion of political meddling in the prosecution of Mr Zuma.

Last week a High Court judge ruled that the decision to prosecute was invalid.

He also referred to a "titanic political struggle" between Mr Zuma and Mr Mbeki, and said the polarisation of the country into opposing camps was well known.

The South African cabinet says there was no political interference in the Zuma case, but some of Mr Mbeki's opponents want him to stand down early or be forced out of office.

According to Steven Friedman of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, if Mr Mbeki opted to resign, parliament would elect a new president.

However, only MPs may be elected and Mr Zuma is not an MP.

If a motion of no confidence in the government was passed by MPs, it would trigger an early election.

Mr Friedman told the South African Press Association that the two-thirds majority needed to pass a motion is not assured as Mr Mbeki has many supporters in parliament.

Some political analysts believe the ANC is simply not ready for early elections.