Mbeki, Thabo

Mbeki, Thabo (1942– ) South African statesman, president (1999– ). He went into exile in Europe when the African National Congress (ANC) was banned in 1962. In 1975, Mbeki became the youngest member of the National Executive of the ANC. He returned to South Africa after President F. W. de Klerk lifted the ban on the ANC in 1990. He succeeded Oliver Tambo as chair of the ANC in 1993, and the following year became deputy president to Nelson Mandela. In 1997, Mbeki succeeded Mandela as President of the ANC, and he easily won the 1999 elections in South Africa. As President of South Africa, Mbeki faced criticism for slowness in tackling high unemployment, poverty and violent crime, and his refusal to recognize the nature and extent of the escalating AIDS crisis.

http://www.anc.org.za/people/mbeki.html