Kgalema Motlanthe was recently sworn as president of South Africa after the recent resignation of Thabo Mbeki. Thabo Mbeki's resignation came right after his mediating the talks of the Zimbabwe heads of states. He was very much criticized for his private talks there but they ended up paying off after all. Not paying off enough however, to help his standing at home and still was forced to resign based on failed domestic policies.
Kgalema Motlanthe, who secured 269 of 360 votes by parliment members, will seek to do some mediating and tension cessation of his own while in office. He will lead a very divided party in the ANC (since Mbeki's resignation, 11 cabinet members resigned) and also have to ease tensions between supporters of Mbeki and his rival Jacob Zuma.
It seems as though S Africa would like to travel back to it's routes in choosing Kgalema Motlanthe, not in the sense of age (Motlanthe is younger), but struggle. Thabo Mbeki was a more rigid, and an acedemic, at times seeming out of touch with the everyday S African. His economic policies are indicative of that as he favors heavy deregulation. Motlanthe did not go abroad to become educated and spent 10 years on Robben Island. He only has a year as interim president, until Jacob Zuma is expected to take office, but he may be able to revive S Africa and the ANC with it.
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