Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki

Manoeuvring over the succession to President Thabo Mbeki in 2009 is becoming increasingly fraught - so much so that a high-level negotiating group was set up last week to dampen tensions and lay down ground rules...

First he persuaded his fellow leaders to reject an extremely critical report on Zimbabwe by the African Union's Human Rights Commission; then he pre-empted Annan's efforts to mediate in Zimbabwe's internal crisis (as part of a plan agreed between SA President Thabo Mbeki and British Premier Tony Blair) by appointing his own mediator (and close friend) Tanzanian former President Benjamin Mkapa...

Wen knows personally the Deputy President of SA's governing African National Congress Jacob Zuma while President Hu Jintao and SA President Thabo Mbeki have known each other since they were their countries' deputy leaders...

On his side are the populists while President Thabo Mbeki leads the pragmatists...

President Thabo Mbeki had previously deployed the then Deputy President Jacob Zuma since sacked...

The difficult relationship between South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and British Premier Tony Blair has recovered enough for them to wear convincing smiles at their joint press conference in London on 24 May...

China's close trade relationships with some of the continent's most oppressive regimes (Sudan Zimbabwe) do not help President Thabo Mbeki's campaign for good governance...

Yet it will be damaged by the resumption of his stand-off with President Thabo Mbeki which also slows down business...

Mlambo-Ngcuka is President Thabo Mbeki's choice...

He has a direct line to Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini but his relationship with Thabo Mbeki has soured...