Thabo Mbeki

About Thabo Mbeki

The second President of democratic South Africa, serving from 1999 to 2008. Mbeki was a sophisticated intellectual but controversial figure. His AIDS denialism was catastrophic, with an estimated 330,000 preventable deaths due to his governments delay in providing antiretroviral drugs. Mbeki pursued African renaissance and led peace efforts in Africa. He was forced to resign in 2008 after losing the support of his party over allegations of interfering in corruption charges against Jacob Zuma. Mbekis legacy is mixed: he was a capable statesman whose AIDS policies were deadly.