Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, December 17, 2002
Mbeki Reelcted Chairman of ANC
The ruling ANC chose President Thabo Mbeki to lead the party for a further five years Monday, virtually assuring his moderate economic policies will dominate South Africa until 2009.
The ruling ANC chose President Thabo Mbeki to lead the party for a further five years Monday, virtually assuring his moderate economic policies will dominate South Africa until 2009.
Mbeki pledged earlier to stick to market-friendly economic policies and to redress South Africa's racial wrongs, saying neither leftists nor white bombers would stand in his way.
"For the position of (African National Congress, ANC) president, all structures nominated comrade Thabo Mbeki and he has accepted the nomination," the party's electoral commission said in a statement.
elegates were given an opportunity to make further nominations from the floor, but when none of his leftist critics spoke up, ANC officials said Mbeki was duly elected.
The ANC leader is the party's automatic candidate for president in elections due in the first half of 2004 and Mbeki is virtually assured of a second and final five-year term.
In a speech well received by nearly 4,000 delegates, Mbeki threatened a crackdown on growing corruption by public servants and local politicians.