South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has come under renewed pressure to resign after a High Court judgement.
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — A court judgment implying South African President Thabo Mbeki's government meddled in a graft case against his chief rival will be discussed by the ruling party this week, officials said Sunday.
"We will look into the judgment and the implications thereof," African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told AFP, saying there was no specific meeting to discuss Mbeki.
A South African high court on Friday threw out a corruption case against party leader Jacob Zuma, paving a clear route to him becoming the country's president in next year's elections.
Weekend media reported the ANC would discuss Mbeki's future, after the court pointed to "baleful political influence" in the decision to charge Zuma.
Mbeki would "be pushed on (to) his sword if he can't fall on his sword," an unnamed ANC official was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times.
The Sunday Independent reported moves were underway to install Zuma as president without an early election being called, the newspaper said.
The City Press, quoting the ANC chief whip Nathi Mthethwa, said ANC members of parliament would caucus on how to deal with Mbeki when the house reconvened in two weeks.
Fired by Mbeki as deputy president in 2005 after being implicated in graft, he was recharged 10 days after he ousted Mbeki as party president last December.
"The timing of the indictment (...) after the President suffered a political defeat at Polokwane was most unfortunate," Judge Chris Nicholson told the Pietermaritzburg high court Friday.
Zuma's assertion of "political meddling in his prosecution" was not incorrect, the judge said.
The ruling was handed down the day after Mbeki brokered a deal in Zimbabwe's political crisis which he is mediating on behalf of the region.
The deal is expected to be officially signed in Harare on Monday.
On Friday, Mbeki's office said it was "certainly not aware of any fact that may have led to the conclusion that there was executive interference."
The presidency would study the judgement further, it said.
In Friday's case the judge stressed the decision to throw out the case was not a reflection of Zuma's guilt or innocence but a technical decision based on Zuma' right to make representations before being recharged.
The ANC will hold two high level meetings this week.
"We will look into the judgment and the implications thereof," African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told AFP, saying there was no specific meeting to discuss Mbeki.
A South African high court on Friday threw out a corruption case against party leader Jacob Zuma, paving a clear route to him becoming the country's president in next year's elections.
Weekend media reported the ANC would discuss Mbeki's future, after the court pointed to "baleful political influence" in the decision to charge Zuma.
Mbeki would "be pushed on (to) his sword if he can't fall on his sword," an unnamed ANC official was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times.
The Sunday Independent reported moves were underway to install Zuma as president without an early election being called, the newspaper said.
The City Press, quoting the ANC chief whip Nathi Mthethwa, said ANC members of parliament would caucus on how to deal with Mbeki when the house reconvened in two weeks.
Fired by Mbeki as deputy president in 2005 after being implicated in graft, he was recharged 10 days after he ousted Mbeki as party president last December.
"The timing of the indictment (...) after the President suffered a political defeat at Polokwane was most unfortunate," Judge Chris Nicholson told the Pietermaritzburg high court Friday.
Zuma's assertion of "political meddling in his prosecution" was not incorrect, the judge said.
The ruling was handed down the day after Mbeki brokered a deal in Zimbabwe's political crisis which he is mediating on behalf of the region.
The deal is expected to be officially signed in Harare on Monday.
On Friday, Mbeki's office said it was "certainly not aware of any fact that may have led to the conclusion that there was executive interference."
The presidency would study the judgement further, it said.
In Friday's case the judge stressed the decision to throw out the case was not a reflection of Zuma's guilt or innocence but a technical decision based on Zuma' right to make representations before being recharged.
The ANC will hold two high level meetings this week.
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