Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki
He
was born in Inutywa in the Eastern Cape on the 18 June 1942. He was
born into a family of learned parents and was inspired by his highly intellectual
father, who wrote books about his people.
his early involvement in politics and after the banning of the ANC in 1960 he had no choice but to obey the instruction of the ANC and go into exile in 1962.
He went through Botswana and Zimbabwe and was arrested and placed in a Bulawayo prison for six weeks. A British MP, Barbara Castle intervened in his deportation back to South Africa and was granted asylum in Tanzania.
Mbeki left Africa for London were he completes a Masters degree in Economics at the University of Sussex in 1966. He became one of the mentors of the ANC and became a trustworthy leader within the ranks of the ANC.
As time went on he served in different posts: Director of Information; Secretary for Presidential Affairs; and member of the ANC's political and military counsel. Mbeki came back to South Africa after the unbanning of the ANC. Mbeki was appointed by former president Nelson Mandela as the first black Deputy President after the 1994 elections.
On the 2 June 1999, the ANC won overwhelmingly 66% of the votes. these elections have shown the world that South Africans have confidence in the ANC.
