Excerpts from Mbeki's speech

2008-09-21 20:57

Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki told the country on Sunday night he had tendered his resignation after the ruling ANC asked him to step down.

Below are excerpts from Mbeki's speech on national television:

"I have no doubt you are aware of the announcement made yesterday by the National Executive Committee of the ANC with regard to the position of the president of the republic".

"Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to inform the nation that today I have handed a letter to the speaker of the national assembly...to tender my resignation from the high position of president of the Republic of South Africa, effective from the day that will be determined by the national assembly".

"I have been a long member of the African National Congress for 52 years. I remain a member of the ANC and therefore respect its decisions. It is for this reason that I have taken the decision to resign as president of the republic following the decision of the National Executive Committee of the ANC".

"I would like sincerely to thank the nation and the ANC for having given me the opportunity to serve in public office during the last 14 years as the deputy president and the president of the ANC."

"This service has at all times been based on the vision, the principles and values that have guided the ANC as it prosecuted a difficult and dangerous struggle in the decades before the attainment of our freedom in 1994".

"We as government embarked from 1994 on policies and programmes directed at pulling the people of South African out of the morass of poverty and ensuring that we build a stable, developed and prosperous country".

"Among many things we did, we transformed our economy, resulting in the longest sustained period of economic growth in the history of our country".

"Indeed on the infrequent instances when we have publicly expressed views contrary to those of the judiciary we have done so mindful of the need to protect its integrity".

"Consistent with this practise, I would like to restate the position of cabinet on the inferences made by the honourable Judge Chris Nicholson that the president and cabinet have interfered in the work of the National Prosecuting Authority."

"Again I would like to state this categorically that we have never done this and therefore never compromised the right of the National Prosecuting Authority to decide whom it wished to prosecute or not to prosecute."

"This applies equally to the painful matter relating to the court proceedings against the president of the ANC, comrade Jacob Zuma."

"More generally I would like to assure the nation that our successive governments since 1994 have never acted in any manner intended wilfully to violate the constitution and the law." (Reporting by Marius Bosch)

- Reuters