President Thabo Mbeki is facing the possibility of being removed

President Thabo Mbeki is facing the possibility of being removed from office due to allegations that he pressured prosecutors to pursue corruption charges against Jacob Zuma, who recently replaced him as the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. The National Executive Committee of the ANC began a meeting on the topic on 19 September 2008 and is expected to make a final decision within three days. If the decision is made against Mbeki, the party, which has a majority in Parliament, will likely dismiss him on the grounds of wrongdoing (which requires two thirds majority) or conduct a vote of no confidence (which requires a simple majority). Although members of the party want Mbeki removed, they do not want to force early elections, which could affect their final decision on his status.