Anjouan ( [ɑ̃.ʒu.ɑ̃] ) is an autonomous volcanic island in the Comoro Islands in the southwestern Indian Ocean , part of the Union of the Comoros . It is known in Shikomori as Ndzuani , Ndzuwani or Nzwani , and, until the early twentieth century when the name fell out of general use (although still sometimes used by English-speakers in Zanzibar), in English as Johanna . Historically it was also called Hinzuan or Hanzoan .
117-419: Its chief town is Mutsamudu and, as of 2006, its population is around 277,500. The total area of the island is 424 square kilometers (163 square miles). The first inhabitants of the island were Bantu-speaking peoples from eastern Africa and navigators from Indonesia and Southwest Asia . In the late fifteenth century high status Hadrami Arab immigrants married into the local ruling classes and established
234-600: A "frontline" country because of its shared border with South Africa, where the ANC was attempting to re-establish its underground. However, although he travelled frequently in subsequent years, the ANC's Lusaka headquarters remained his central base. Between 1975 and 1976, Mbeki was instrumental in establishing the ANC's frontline base in Swaziland. He was first sent there to assess the political landscape in January 1975, under
351-846: A State of Emergency and gave the army and police special powers. In 1986, the South African Army sent a captain in the South African Defence Force (SADF) to kill Mbeki. The plan was to put a bomb in his house in Lusaka, but the assassin was arrested by the Zambian police before he could go through with the plan. In 1985, Mbeki became the ANC's director of the Department of Information and Publicity and coordinated diplomatic campaigns to involve more white South Africans in anti-apartheid activities. In 1989, he rose in
468-557: A dialect of Shikomori . Though they have similar grammatical structures and much shared vocabulary, Shindzuani varies greatly from the dialect of the capital island, Shingazija , and linguists have debated whether they should truly be considered the same language. Public schools and government functions are carried out in French , but in daily life, Shindzuani is spoken almost exclusively. Additionally, many people living on Anjouan are fairly familiar with Arabic through language classes and
585-701: A fairly common practice, and even a rite of passage, among young people identified as belonging to the future generation of ANC and SACP political leaders. He was educated at the Lenin Institute , where, because of the secrecy required, he went by the alias "Jack Fortune." He excelled at the institute and in June 1970 was appointed to the Central Committee of the SACP, alongside Chris Hani. The last part of his training entailed military training, also
702-514: A hotel in Switzerland . Known as "Operation Flair", PW Botha was kept informed of all the meetings. At the same time, Mandela and Kobie Coetzee , the Minister of Justice, were also holding secret talks. When Mbeki finally was able to return home to South Africa and was reunited with his own father, the elder Mbeki told a reporter, "You must remember that Thabo Mbeki is no longer my son. He
819-419: A narrowing budget deficit , and consistent, moderate economic growth. However, despite his retention of various social democratic programmes, and notable expansions to the black economic empowerment programme, critics often regarded Mbeki's economic policies as neoliberal , with insufficient consideration for developmental and redistributive objectives. On these grounds, Mbeki grew increasingly alienated from
936-453: A new generation of leaders had to be prepared for succession. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mbeki's key role in the early negotiations made him a likely contender for top leadership positions in the party, and he was even considered to be in line for the ANC presidency. However, at the ANC's 48th National Conference in July 1991, its first national elective conference since 1960, Mbeki
1053-518: A protectorate over the island; slavery was abolished in 1899, and in 1912, following the forced abdication of the last sultan, France formally annexed the island. John Mucknell marooned his enemies on Anjouan in 1644. His ship, the John , was owned by the East India Company , but after ridding himself of opposition in this manner, he turned pirate and returned to Britain. Anjouan joined
1170-580: A rational expectation. — Mbeki in 1997, on filling Mandela's shoes Following the 1994 elections , South Africa's first under universal suffrage , Mbeki became one of the two national deputy presidents in the ANC-led Government of National Unity , in which Mandela was president. At the ANC's next national conference , held in December that year, Mbeki was elected unopposed to the ANC deputy presidency, also under Mandela. In June 1996,
1287-663: A renowned ANC intellectual, Mbeki has been involved in ANC politics since 1956, when he joined the ANC Youth League , and has been a member of the party's National Executive Committee since 1975. Born in the Transkei , he left South Africa aged twenty to attend university in England, and spent almost three decades in exile abroad, until the ANC was unbanned in 1990. He rose through the organisation in its information and publicity section and as Oliver Tambo 's protégé, but he
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#17327945518481404-406: A rite of passage, including in intelligence, guerrilla tactics, and weaponry. However, his biographer Mark Gevisser adduces that he was "not the ideal candidate for military life," and Max Sisulu , who trained alongside him, says that he always regarded Mbeki as better suited to political leadership than military leadership. In April 1971, having been pulled out from military training, Mbeki
1521-781: A role in African and global politics that was disproportionate to the country's size and historical influence. He was the central architect of the New Partnership for Africa's Development and, as the inaugural chairperson of the African Union , spearheaded the introduction of the African Peer Review Mechanism . After the IBSA Dialogue Forum was launched in 2003, his government collaborated with India and Brazil to lobby for reforms at
1638-625: A sultanate that extended its control over the entire island and occasionally extending their influence to the neighboring island of Mwali and Mayotte . In 1812, Sultan Alawi bin Husain requested British assistance against Malagasy slavers who were threatening his domain, which was turned down. Nevertheless, the island remained within the British sphere of influence until the late 19th century. In 1886 France , already present in Mayotte, established
1755-482: A top-level strategic meeting in Luanda , Angola, when Maharaj, who had been tasked with running the political underground, claimed that Mbeki's records from the Swaziland office were in fact "just an empty folder." After being deported, Mbeki returned to Lusaka, where he was made Duma Nokwe's deputy in the ANC's Department of Information and Propaganda (DIP). In January 1977, he was posted to Lagos , Nigeria, where he
1872-675: A touring football team, and then in Rhodesia . He arrived at the ANC's new headquarters in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania, in November 1962, and left shortly afterwards for England. While at Sussex, Mbeki was involved in ANC work and in broader organising for the English Anti-Apartheid Movement . Months after his arrival, his father was arrested during a Security Branch raid at Liliesleaf Farm in July 1963. During
1989-825: A two-year term. Controversially, in February 2007, South Africa followed Russia and China in voting against a draft resolution calling for an end to political detentions and military attacks against ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Mbeki later told the media that the resolution exceeded the Security Council's mandate, and that its tabling had been illegal in terms of international law . Mbeki's presidency coincided with an escalating political and economic crisis in South Africa's neighbour, Zimbabwe, under president Mugabe of ZANU-PF. Problems included land invasions under
2106-566: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Thabo Mbeki Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki ( Xhosa: [tʰaɓɔ ʼmbɛːki] ; born 18 June 1942) is a South African politician who served as the 2nd democratic president of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, when he resigned at the request of his party, the African National Congress (ANC). Before that, he was deputy president under Nelson Mandela from 1994 to 1999. The son of Govan Mbeki ,
2223-453: Is abundant in cassava , bananas , mangoes , soursop , avocados , oranges , taro , and vanilla . The Anjouan scops owl is a rare owl. The Anjouan sparrowhawk is a possibly extinct subspecies of the Frances's goshawk . Lemurs are commonly found in the mountainous regions of the island. Two species of lizards, Flexiseps johannae and Paroedura sanctijohannis , are named after
2340-536: Is my comrade!" A news article pointed out that this was an expression of pride, explaining, "For Govan Mbeki, a son was a mere biological appendage; to be called a comrade, on the other hand, was the highest honour." In the late 1970s, Mbeki made a number of trips to the United States in search of support among US corporations. Literate and funny, he made a wide circle of friends in New York City. Mbeki
2457-668: Is part of the Comoros Islands located in the Mozambique Channel. It consists of the eroded remains of a large shield volcano that formed in the Pleistocene epoch. Eruptions from fissure vents spanned in three directions, followed by a long interval of erosion. Renewed volcanism produced a series of lava flows that filled deep valleys and flooded areas along the coast. The island is known for its steep, mountainous terrain and black sand beaches. Mount Ntringui
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#17327945518482574-465: Is safely held." Mbeki said in 2004: ...the critical role we should play is to assist the Zimbabweans to find each other, really to agree among themselves about the political, economic, social, other solutions that their country needs. We could have stepped aside from that task and then shouted, and that would be the end of our contribution... They would shout back at us and that would be the end of
2691-404: Is the highest point in the island of Anjouan with an elevation of 1,595 m (5,233 ft) above sea level. The second most important (and the most populous) city on Anjouan is Domoni . The main strategic area is the airfield at Ouani , with its 1.5 km runway, and the bay with the coastal road from the chief town Mutsamudu in the east out to the city of Sima in the west. The highs on
2808-556: Is yet maintaining the possibility to make a request for the different types of licenses through their website. Currently there are nominated less than 50 institutions having the active licenses. However, the law creating non-financial offshore companies was legally adopted by the Parliament of Anjouan and non-financial firms registered in Anjouan are recognized legally. Presidential elections were held in Anjouan on 15 June following
2925-603: The "fast-track" land reform programme, political violence and state-sponsored human rights violations, and hyperinflation . With SADC's endorsement, Mbeki frequently acted as a mediator between ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwean opposition. However, controversially, his policy towards the Mugabe regime was one of non-confrontational "quiet diplomacy" and "constructive engagement": he refused to condemn Mugabe and instead attempted to persuade him to accept gradual political reforms. He
3042-673: The 2008 invasion of Anjouan to oust Mohamed Bacar as President of Anjouan . About 128,000 people were eligible to vote. Mohamed Djaanfari , a former vice-president of the Assembly of the Union of the Comoros , and Moussa Toybou , a former minister in Said Mohamed Djohar 's government, advanced to the runoff round held on 29 June. The final official result, as confirmed by the constitutional court on 3 July 2008, declared Toybou
3159-619: The African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Communist Party (SACP). Both Epainette and Govan came from educated, Christian , land-owning families, and Govan's father was Sikelewu Mbeki, a colonially appointed headman . The couple had met in Durban , where Epainette had become the second black woman to join the SACP (then still called the Communist Party of South Africa). However, while Mbeki
3276-730: The African Union (AU), of which he became the inaugural chairperson in 2002, and his government spearheaded the introduction of the AU's African Peer Review Mechanism in 2003. He was twice chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), first from 1999 to 2000 and second, briefly, in 2008. Through these multilateral organisations and by contributing forces to various United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, Mbeki and his government were involved in peacekeeping initiatives in African countries including Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Liberia,
3393-597: The Bank of France and issued by the central bank of the country, the Central Bank of the Comoros . Many people on the island farm ylang-ylang , vanilla , and cloves . The economy of the island is dependent on agriculture and related industries. These industries employ over 80% of the workforce. The island's main food staple is rice , all of which must be imported. Anjouan is the world's primary exporter of ylang-ylang oil, an ingredient in almost all perfumes. As part of
3510-627: The Cato Institute commended Mbeki's macroeconomic policies, which reduced the budget deficit and public debt and which according to them likely played a role in increasing economic growth. According to the Free Market Foundation , during the Mbeki presidency, average annualised quarter-on-quarter GDP growth was 4.2%, and average annual inflation was 5.7%. On the other hand, the shift alienated leftists, including inside in
3627-560: The Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) programme, which was introduced in 1996 and remained a cornerstone of Mbeki's administration after 1999. In comparison to the Reconstruction and Development Programme policy which had been the basis of the ANC's platform in 1994, GEAR placed less emphasis on developmental and redistributive imperatives, and subscribed to elements of the liberalisation, deregulation, and privatisation at
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3744-873: The National Party withdrew from the Government of National Unity and, with the second deputy, de Klerk, having thereby resigned, Mbeki became the sole deputy president. The same year, as deputy president, Mbeki acted as a peace broker in what was then known as Zaire , following the First Congo War and the deposition of Zairean president Mobutu Sese Seko . Mbeki also took on increasing domestic responsibilities, including executive powers delegated to him by Mandela, to such an extent that Mandela called him "a de facto president." Mandela had made it clear publicly since early 1995 or earlier that he intended to retire after one term in office, and by then Mbeki
3861-606: The State of Comoros when it became independent in 1975, with Ahmed Abdallah as president of the State of Comoros. The island, being a part of the country, has gone through more than 20 coups since independence and has experienced several attempts at secession. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli seceded from the Comoros. On 3 August 1997, Anjouan declared itself the independent State of Anjouan ( État d’Anjouan ) with Foundi Abdallah Ibrahim as president. An independence referendum
3978-604: The United Nations , advocating for a stronger role for developing countries. Among South Africa's various peacekeeping commitments during his presidency, Mbeki was the primary mediator in the conflict between ZANU-PF and the Zimbabwean opposition in the 2000s. However, he was frequently criticised for his policy of "quiet diplomacy" in Zimbabwe, under which he refused to condemn Robert Mugabe 's regime or institute sanctions against it. Also highly controversial worldwide
4095-575: The propaganda section of the ANC's English headquarters. He remained active in the SACP, which was very closely allied to the ANC, and in 1967 he was appointed to the editorial board of its official magazine, the African Communist . Throughout his time in England, Mbeki was the ward of O. R. Tambo and his wife Adelaide Tambo – in the absence of his parents, it was Adelaide and senior communist Michael Harmel who attended Mbeki's graduation ceremony in 1965. O. R. Tambo later became
4212-541: The "seminal thinker" behind NEPAD and its "principal author and articulator." According to academic Chris Landsberg, NEPAD's central principle – "African leaders holding one another accountable in exchange for the recommitment of the industrialised world to Africa's development" – epitomised Mbeki's strategy in Africa. Mbeki was also involved in the dissolution of the Organisation of African Unity and its replacement by
4329-472: The 15th century is located between them. The citadel was constructed in 1786 with help of the British to protect the city from Malagasy slave raisers. It was badly damaged in 1950 at the landfall of a cyclone. Mutsamudu enjoys marine tropical weather. The main temperature range extends from 27 °C to 32 °C (90 °F) throughout the year. The hottest period in Mutsamudu is from the month of December to
4446-487: The ANC and its Tripartite Alliance . Zwelinzima Vavi of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) was an outspoken critic of Mbeki's "market-friendly" economic policies, claiming that Mbeki's "flirtation" with neoliberalism had been "absolutely disastrous" for development, and especially for the labour-intensive development required to address South Africa's high unemployment rate. The discord between Mbeki and
4563-538: The ANC and other political organisations would be unbanned, and ANC exiles began to return to South Africa. At the same time that it was to negotiate the end of apartheid , the ANC had to implement a significant internal reorganisation, absorbing into its official exile bodies the domestic ANC underground, released political prisoners, and other activists from the trade unions and the United Democratic Front . It also had an ageing leadership, meaning that
4680-485: The ANC won by a significant majority, Mbeki was elected president of South Africa . He was re-elected for a second term in 2002. Ours is a capitalist society. It is therefore inevitable that, in part – and I repeat, in part – we must address this goal of deracialisation within the context of the property relations characteristic [of] a capitalist economy. — Mbeki in 1999 Mbeki had been highly involved in economic policy as deputy president, especially in spearheading
4797-812: The ANC's leadership. Over the next three years, Ramaphosa also came to eclipse Mbeki as the party's central negotiator when he, not Mbeki, was appointed to lead the ANC's delegation to the CODESA talks. Once SACP leader Chris Hani was assassinated in April 1993, Ramaphosa became Mbeki's primary competition in the ANC succession battle. When Tambo died later the same month, Mbeki succeeded him as ANC national chairperson. Well, I don't imagine that there's any such requirement. I mean, he's got very big feet. The shoes will be too big. What does that mean? Does it mean we start off by going to jail for 27 years and then sort of graduate from there, grow taller, wear strange shirts? It's not
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4914-486: The ANC's longest-serving president, and he acted as Mbeki's "political mentor and patron" until his death in 1993. Other friends Mbeki made in England, including Ronnie Kasrils and brothers Essop Pahad and Aziz Pahad , were also among his key political allies in his later career. In February 1969, Mbeki was sent to Moscow in the Soviet Union to receive Marxist–Leninist political and ideological training –
5031-461: The ANC. Mbeki joined the ANC Youth League at age fourteen and in 1958 became the secretary of its Lovedale branch. Shortly afterwards, at the start of his final year of high school, he was identified as one of the leaders of a March 1959 boycott of classes, and was summarily expelled from Lovedale. He nonetheless sat for matric examinations and obtained a second-class pass. In June 1960, Mbeki moved to Johannesburg , where he lived in
5148-485: The ANC. The agreement allowed the ANC to open an office in Zimbabwe and to move MK weapons and cadres over Zimbabwean borders; moreover, it committed the Zimbabwean military to assisting the ANC, and the government to providing MK cadres with Zimbabwean identity documents. However, Mbeki handed the running of the Salisbury office over to another ANC official, and the deal later collapsed. In 1985, PW Botha declared
5265-552: The African Union invasion force which then retreated back to Mohéli. On 19 March 2008, a French military helicopter on a clandestine mission from French-administered Mayotte crashed in the Mozambique Channel close to the city of Sima on Anjouan. Critics of the action allege the helicopter was involved in an attempt to bring Bacar into French exile, and that Bacar was able to hold out so long only because he
5382-574: The African continent. Simultaneously, however, he argued for increased developmental aid to Africa. He called for Western leaders to address global apartheid and unequal development, most memorably in a speech to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002. Although Mbeki also forged strategic individual relationships with key African leaders, especially
5499-632: The Bank in violation of anti-money laundering regulations, fraud, or Banking laws. The Central Bank of Comoros has never commented the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority’s activity. At the same time, on the Central Bank website, in the section "Flash News" from April 4, 2014, it was mentioned: "The Central Bank of Comores recalls that up to date, no license has been delivered for the exercise of financial offshore activities in one of
5616-574: The Comoran government's efforts. "We will continue to act in consultation with the Comoros so that the law can be applied and Colonel Bacar can be tried." Following the March 2008 invasion of Anjouan , the interim president of Anjouan was Laili Zamane Abdou In May 2008, The Constitutional Court of the Comoros approved five candidates to contest the Anjouan presidential election of 15 June and invalidated
5733-694: The Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Outside Africa, Mbeki was the chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement between 1999 and 2003 and the chairperson of the Group of 77 + China in 2006. He also pursued South -South solidarity in a coalition with India and Brazil under the IBSA Dialogue Forum , which was launched in June 2003 and held its first summit in September 2006. The IBSA countries together pressed for changes in
5850-468: The London High Court on behalf of the Anjouan Government and lost, The High Court of Justice in London confirmed after seeing all the legal documentation that Anjouan Corporate Institution Limited (ACIL), was legally entitled to operate the offshore business, with full consent of the Anjouan Government. All Banking Licenses were being issued as a Class B Banking License and have terms of one year, which were renewable as long as no complaint had been made against
5967-543: The Mutsamudu citadel. Cyclone Elinah in 1983 and Cyclone Feliksa killed a few people but affected thousands of people's lives. Mutsamudu is the only deep water port of the Union of the Comoros, constructed in 1982. Three quarters of its cargo consists of transhipment for containerized cargoes destined to the two other islands. The main import products shipped from the port are rice, cement, sugar, flour and petroleum products. Main export products are ylang ylang , cloves and vanilla . This Comoros location article
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#17327945518486084-408: The SACP. Thus the ANC instructed him to join the growing cohort of cadres who were leaving South Africa to evade police attention, receive training, and establish the overt ANC structures that were now illegal inside the country. Mbeki was detained twice by the police while attempting to leave the country, first in Rustenberg , when the group he was travelling with failed to pass themselves off as
6201-492: The Sima Peninsula. It was established in 2010, and has an area of 64.97 km. Anjouan is the island with the highest population density in Comoros. The main religion is Sunni Islam . Although the island is filled with large numbers of mosques, religious observance is not as strict as it is in many other countries observing Islam. The Comoros national state-owned TV station broadcasts locally. Anjouan also operates its own radio station. The people of Anjouan speak Shindzuani ,
6318-491: The South African government. These talks led to the unbanning of the ANC and the release of political prisoners. He also participated in many of the other important negotiations between the ANC and the government that eventually led to the democratisation of South Africa. As a sign of goodwill, de Klerk set free a few of the ANC's top leadership at the end of 1989, among them Govan Mbeki . On 2 February 1990, Botha's successor as state president, F. W. de Klerk , announced that
6435-462: The Union of the Comoros, the banking system of Anjouan is regulated by the Central Bank of the Comoros , created in 1981. Anjouan, pursuant to the Regulation of Banks and Comparable Establishments of 1999, licensed more than 300 offshore banks. All of the shell banks and other entities are located offshore and have no permanent presence in the Comoros. Anjouan sold the right to issue bank licenses and delegated most of its authority to operate and regulate
6552-450: The Union, the islands were reunified with Comoros in 2002 and a new Union of the Comoros constitution mandated the election of a President of Anjouan along with presidents for the other two autonomous islands and a President of the Union. Bacar was elected for a 5-year term as President of the island of Anjouan. His term expired on 14 April 2007 and the president of the assembly, Houmadi Caambi, became acting president from 15 April until he
6669-408: The agricultural subsidy regimes of developed countries at the 2003 World Trade Organisation conference , and also pressed for reforms at the UN which would allow developing countries a stronger role. Indeed, Mbeki had called for reform at the UN as early as 1999 and 2000. In 2007, following a prolonged diplomatic campaign, South Africa secured a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for
6786-405: The archipelago) . Henceforth the leader of the autonomous island of Anjouan is named Governor instead of President and the Commissioners instead of Ministers. Anjouan invested heavily in its national security under Mohamed Bacar. Main components were the Gendarmerie commanded by Commander Abdou, the younger brother of Bacar. A battalion size militia of approximately 500 backed the Gendarmerie. Since
6903-401: The base. In Swaziland, he lived at Stanley Mabizela's family home in Manzini . Working with Albert Dhlomo, Mbeki was responsible for helping to re-establish underground ANC networks in the South African provinces of Natal and Transvaal , which shared a border with Swaziland. His counterpart inside South Africa was MK operative Jacob Zuma , who ran the Natal underground. According to Gevisser,
7020-410: The candidacy of Mohamed Bacar. Comoran President A.A. Sambi supported engineer Moussa Toybou for the position who won a bare plurality in the initial balloting. In the second round of the elections held on 29 June, he was contested by political veteran Mohamed Djaanfari but won with 52% of the vote. The Presidency of Anjouan was later transformed into the position of Governor of Anjouan . Anjouan
7137-480: The causal link between HIV and AIDS, he often posited a need to investigate alternate causes of and alternative treatments for AIDS, frequently suggesting that immunodeficiency was the indirect result of poverty. His political descent began at the ANC's Polokwane conference in December 2007, when he was replaced as ANC president by Zuma. His term as national president was not due to expire until June 2009, but, on 20 September 2008, he announced that he would resign at
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#17327945518487254-602: The centre of Washington Consensus -style reforms. It was therefore viewed by some as a "policy reversal" and embrace of neoliberalism , and thus as an abandonment of the ANC's socialist principles. Mbeki also emphasised communication between government, business, and labour, establishing four working groups – for big business, black business, trade unions, and commercial agriculture – under which ministers, senior officials, and Mbeki himself met regularly with business and union leaders to build trust and explore solutions to structural economic problems. Conservative groups such as
7371-501: The concept of a dual or two-track economy in South Africa, with severe underdevelopment in one segment of the population, and, for example in a 2003 newsletter, argued that high growth alone would only benefit the developed segment, without significant trickle-down benefits for the rest of the population. Yet, somewhat paradoxically, he explicitly advocated state support for the creation of a black capitalist class in South Africa. The government's black economic empowerment policy, which
7488-404: The cover of attending a UN conference. As part of this reconnaissance trip, he and his colleague Max Sisulu spent time with S'bu Ndebele , Max's sister Lindiwe Sisulu , and their associates in the Black Consciousness movement , which at the time was ascendent in neighbouring South Africa. Mbeki made a positive report to the ANC executive, and he was sent back to Swaziland to begin establishing
7605-417: The early 1980s, Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and Aziz Pahad were appointed by Tambo to conduct private talks with representatives of the National Party government. Twelve meetings between the parties took place between November 1987 and May 1990, most of them held at Mells Park House , a country house near Bath in Somerset, England . By September 1989, the team secretly met with Maritz Spaarwater and Mike Louw in
7722-423: The ensuing Rivonia Trial , Mbeki appeared before the United Nations (UN) Special Committee on Apartheid and later led a student march from Brighton to London, a distance of fifty miles. At the conclusion of the trial, Govan and seven other ANC leaders, among them Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu , were sentenced to life imprisonment . Mbeki completed his bachelor's degree in economics in May 1965 but, at
7839-543: The eviction of Bacar in March 2008, the Anjouanais defence forces are led by the Government of the Union of the Comoros . Mutsamudu Mutsamudu (also known as Moutsamoudou) is the second-largest city in the Comoros . It is also the capital and largest city on the island of Anjouan as well the former home of former Comorian president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi . It now houses a deep water port, an ancient citadel, and narrow streets with many shops and small crafts. The population in 2021 stood at 23,594. Mutsamudu
7956-461: The exhortation of O. R. Tambo , enrolled for a Master's in economics and development instead of returning to Africa to join Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC's armed wing. His Master's dissertation was in economic geography . In addition to this and his political organising, he developed a deep fondness for Yeats , Brecht , Shakespeare , and blues music . After completing his Master's, in October 1966 he moved to London to work full-time for
8073-529: The government discovered that Mbeki was involved in military activity inside Swaziland, and he and Dhlomo – as well as Zuma, who was in the country illegally – were detained and then deported , though they managed to negotiate their deportation to the neutral territory of Mozambique rather than to South Africa. Mbeki's management of the Swaziland base later became a point of contention between him and Mac Maharaj , with whom his relationship has remained acrimonious decades later. In 1978, Maharaj and Mbeki argued at
8190-462: The heads of state of Nigeria, Algeria, Mozambique, and Tanzania, perhaps his central foreign policy instrument was multilateral cooperation . Mbeki's government, and Mbeki personally, are frequently cited as the single most significant driving force behind the creation in 2001 of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which aims to develop a framework for accelerating economic development and cooperation in Africa. Olivier calls Mbeki
8307-455: The home of ANC secretary general Duma Nokwe and where he intended to sit for A-level examinations. The ANC had recently been banned in the aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre , but Mbeki remained highly politically active, becoming national secretary of the African Students' Association, a new (and short-lived) youth movement envisaged as replacing the now illegal ANC Youth League. It was also during this period that Nokwe recruited Mbeki into
8424-596: The initiation of relationships with many of the domestic activists who later became his political allies. Moreover, he was responsible for innovating some of the vocabulary which became emblematic of the 1980s anti-apartheid struggle, which burgeoned in the aftermath of the 1976 Soweto uprising . Such phrases as "mass democratic movement," "people's power," and the exhortation to " make the country ungovernable " are attributed to Mbeki, and gained widespread popularity inside South Africa through Radio Freedom broadcasts written by DIP or by Mbeki personally. Zuma has said that it
8541-504: The intolerance that comes from many who share that quality. They are loyal and true. They are their own harshest critics. They both have the gift to draw people to them... They were soul mates , different generations fusing at that particular time. — Adelaide Tambo reflects on Mbeki's relationship with O. R. Tambo , June 2002 He established some of his own high-level intelligence networks, with key underground operatives reporting directly to him, and Gevisser claims that these led to
8658-465: The island and the central mountainous region being rich with lychee fruit trees. Bananas, jackfruit, breadfruit, mangoes, papaya, red guava, green guava, a variety of lime, and small oranges are commonly found all over the island. Vanilla is grown by some for selling and exporting, but is not commonly consumed by Comorians themselves. The island uses the Comorian franc as a currency which is printed by
8775-513: The island of Mohéli . Hostilities began on 11 March 2008, when Comorian forces staged an armed incursion on the island but diplomacy continued with an intervention by South African President Thabo Mbeki who attempted to delay the planned invasion to the distinct displeasure of the Comorian government. There were further incursions between 14 March and 16 March 2008 and clashes between local forces loyal to Mohamed Bacar and, presumably, those from
8892-472: The island range from 27 to 32 °C (81 to 90 °F) year-round. The weather is warm and humid from December to April and slightly cooler from May to November. The climate is generally much cooler in the center of the island, on the highest mountains, and generally warmer in the North-Eastern region, North of Domoni . Anjouan is home to a diversity of plant life, much of which is edible. The island
9009-462: The island, and are found on the island and elsewhere in the Comoros. A 6,850 ha tract encompassing the highlands of the island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of Comoro olive pigeons , Comoro blue pigeons , Anjouan scops owls , Malagasy harriers , Madagascar brush warblers , Comoro thrushes , Anjouan sunbirds and red-headed fodies . Mount Ntringui National Park
9126-472: The islands of the Union of the Comoros". So the financial licenses issued by "Anjouan’s Offshore Finance Authority" and "Anjouan Corporate Services Limited" were not taken in consideration by the authorities of the Union of Comoros. It has been told that Anjouan authorities abandoned the development of the offshore financial sector since the summer of 2008 but, based on the orders 001-008 of 2005 of Autonomous Island of Anjouan, Anjouan’s Offshore Finance Authority
9243-499: The left was on public display by December 2002, when Mbeki attacked what he called divisive "ultra-leftists" in a speech to the ANC's 51st National Conference . However, Mbeki clearly never subscribed to undiluted neoliberalism. He retained various social democratic programmes and principles, and generally endorsed a mixed economy in South Africa. One of the ANC's slogans in the campaign for his 2004 re-election was, "A people's contract for growth and development." He popularised
9360-630: The left wing of the ANC, and from the leaders of the ANC's Tripartite Alliance partners, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and South African Communist Party . It was these leftist elements which supported Jacob Zuma over Mbeki in the political rivalry that erupted after Mbeki removed the latter from his post as deputy president in 2005. As president, Mbeki had an apparent predilection for foreign policy and particularly for multilateralism . His Pan-Africanism and vision for an " African renaissance " are central parts of his political persona, and commentators suggest that he secured for South Africa
9477-429: The month of April. Comparatively cooler weather is experienced from the month of May to the month of November. There is significant rainfall in most months of the year, wettest month is January. The entire Comoros islands are regularly swept by violent winds and sometimes by tropical cyclones with significant human and material damage. The most important of tropic cyclones recorded in Comoros occurred in 1950 and damaged
9594-475: The newly rearranged Offshore Finance Authority, monopolized by Anjouan Corporate Institution Limited (ACIL) since 2003, which has claimed the authority as registered agent for all International Business Companies and banking license issuance on the island since that time and authorized directly by the Legislative Assembly in Anjouan. The company claiming to sell licenses previous to 2003 was sued in
9711-443: The offshore business to private, non-Comoran domiciled parties. In 2002, after Anjouan's reentry into the Union of the Comoros as an autonomous island, Anjouan's Offshore Finance Authority was established to promote the island as a tax haven to attract foreign capital. In 2005, new laws were passed and all of the banking licenses issued there previous to that date were canceled. Those that could show proper due diligence were reset by
9828-537: The pair developed "an unlikely rapport." Mbeki was also responsible for recruiting new MK operatives, for liaising with South African student and labour activists, and for liaising with Inkatha, which was becoming dominant in Natal. However, still another part of his duties was to act as the ANC's official representative in the country, and to maintain good diplomatic relations with the Swazi government. In March 1976,
9945-487: The ranks to head the ANC's Department of International Affairs and was involved in the ANC's negotiations with the South African government. Mbeki played a major role in turning the international media against apartheid. Raising the diplomatic profile of the ANC, Mbeki acted as a point of contact for foreign governments and international organisations and he was extremely successful in this position. Mbeki also played
10062-732: The reading on the Quran from an early age. It is not uncommon for students to attend Quranic school in addition to their normal schooling. Anjouan is known for the wearing of the Shiromani , a sheet-like article of clothing women wrap around their body. The Shiromani is often red, expressing the color of the island of Anjouan. The local cuisine has a great deal of Arab and French influence. Spices such as turmeric, cloves, and cumin are widely used. Meals common to Anjouan include fish with coconut rice, pigeon pea stew, cooked taro dishes, and cassava dishes. The cassava leaves are eaten just as commonly as
10179-758: The request of the ANC National Executive Committee. The ANC's decision to "recall" Mbeki was understood to be linked to a high court judgement, handed down earlier that month, in which judge Chris Nicholson had alleged improper political interference in the National Prosecuting Authority and specifically in the corruption charges against Zuma . Nicholson's judgement was overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal in January 2009, by which time Mbeki had been replaced as president by Kgalema Motlanthe . Mbeki
10296-406: The role of ambassador to the steady flow of delegates from the elite sectors of white South Africa. These included academics, clerics, business people and representatives of liberal white groups who travelled to Lusaka to assess the ANC's views on a democratic, free South Africa. Mbeki was seen as pragmatic, eloquent, rational and urbane. He was known for his diplomatic style and sophistication. In
10413-474: The roots, cooked with coconut milk and often paired with rice as the dish "Mataba". Hot peppers are also common in the form of a hot sauce called "putu", which is prepared by grinding fresh peppers together on stone. Spice level and general flavor of putu greatly depending on family and region. Different regions of Anjouan are known for producing different crops, with clove trees filling the Northeast corner of
10530-455: The secrecy of earlier years and openly gave interviews and access to American journalists, to the disapproval of some hardline communists. According to various sources, he was responsible for reforming the public image of the ANC from that of a terrorist organisation to that of a "government-in-waiting." When I look at Thabo, I look at my husband's son. Physically, they bear a striking resemblance... They are both perfectionists, but without
10647-411: The town of Ouani to secure the airfield. After the airport was secured the invasion force apparently split where part of it headed south-west to engage Anjouanais loyalists in the capital, Mutsamudu, and the remainder headed south-east capturing the port of Bambao M'Sanga and the second city of Domoni without resistance. Mohamed Bacar managed to escape to Mayotte by 26 March to seek political asylum. He
10764-538: The town. He expressed his admiration, noting that the houses were built with stone, whitewashed inside and out, had plank painted ceilings, and were thatched with coconut leaves. He also observed several two-story houses belonging to the "Turkified" elite. There were numerous public baths in town, and all of the elites had baths in their houses. According to Holtzappel, the men wore white linen gowns and turbans, as well as silk clothing and daggers with silver sheaths. Mutsamudu has two parallel main streets. The medina from
10881-458: The winner with 52.42% of the vote to Djaanfari's 47.58%. December 20, 2010 Anissi Chamsidine is elected Governor of the island of Anjouan. He works for a full reconciliation with the Union of Comoros. To show this will, the separatist flag was dropped and replaced by a new flag with the same symbol than that of the Union of Comoros (the Moslem crescent and four stars symbolizing the four islands of
10998-642: Was Mbeki's HIV/AIDS policy. His government did not introduce a national mother-to-child transmission prevention programme until 2002, when it was mandated by the Constitutional Court , nor did it make antiretroviral therapy available in the public healthcare system until late 2003. Subsequent studies have estimated that these delays caused hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths. Mbeki himself, like his Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang , has been described as an AIDS denialist , "dissident," or sceptic. Although he did not explicitly deny
11115-671: Was Mbeki's "drafting skills" which enabled his ascendancy in the ANC and ultimately to the presidency. In 1980, Mbeki led the ANC's delegation to Zimbabwe, where the party hoped to establish relations with Robert Mugabe 's newly elected government. This was a sensitive mission, because the ANC had historically been strongly allied to the Zimbabwe African People's Union , the arch rival of Mugabe's ZANU-PF . Working primarily through Mugabe's righthand man, future Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa , Mbeki negotiated an extraordinarily congenial agreement between ZANU-PF and
11232-418: Was a child, his family was separated when Govan moved alone to Ladismith for a teaching job. Mbeki has said that he was "born into the struggle ," and recalls that his childhood home was decorated with portraits of Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi . Indeed, Govan named him after senior South African communist Thabo Mofutsanyana . Mbeki began attending school in 1948, the same year that the National Party
11349-423: Was already seen as his most likely successor. In December 1997, the ANC's 50th National Conference elected Mbeki unopposed to succeed Mandela as ANC president. On some accounts, the election was not contested because the top leadership had prepared assiduously for the conference, lobbying and negotiating on Mbeki's behalf in the interest of unity and continuity. Pursuant to the 1999 national elections , which
11466-424: Was also an experienced diplomat, serving as the ANC's official representative in several of its African outposts. He was an early advocate for and leader of the diplomatic engagements which led to the negotiations to end apartheid . After South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, he was appointed national deputy president. In subsequent years, it became apparent that he was Mandela's chosen successor, and he
11583-399: Was an overwhelming victory of 90 percent. In July 2007, he once again declared the island of Anjouan to be independent of the Comoros. In February 2008, the Comoros rejected the African Union 's extended sanctions against Anjouan and instead opted for a military solution. In early March, the Comoros armed forces and around 400 international reinforcements from the African Union assembled on
11700-433: Was appointed head of the ANC's information department in 1984 and then became head of the international department in 1989, reporting directly to Oliver Tambo , then President of the ANC. Tambo was Mbeki's long-time mentor. In 1985, Mbeki was a member of a delegation that began meeting secretly with representatives of the South African business community, and in 1989, he led the ANC delegation that conducted secret talks with
11817-546: Was born on 18 June 1942 in Mbewuleni , a small village in the former homeland of Transkei , now part of the Eastern Cape . The second of four siblings, he had one sister, Linda (born 1941, died 2003), and two brothers, Moeletsi (born 1945) and Jama (born 1948, died 1982). His parents were Epainette (died 2014), a trained teacher, and Govan (died 2001), a shopkeeper, teacher, journalist, and senior activist in
11934-613: Was elected onto the ANC's top decision-making organ, the National Executive Committee . It was during this period that he began to ghostwrite some of Tambo's speeches and reports, and he accompanied Tambo on important occasions, such as to the infamous December 1972 meeting with Mangosuthu Buthelezi , the head of Inkatha , in London. In 1973, he helped to establish the ANC's office in Botswana, considered
12051-464: Was elected unopposed as ANC president in 1997, enabling his rise to the presidency as the ANC's candidate in the 1999 elections . While deputy president, Mbeki had been regarded as a steward of the government's Growth, Employment and Redistribution policy, introduced in 1996, and as president he continued to subscribe to relatively conservative, market-friendly macroeconomic policies. During his presidency, South Africa experienced falling public debt ,
12168-483: Was elected with a mandate to legislate apartheid . The Bantu Education Act was implemented towards the end of his school career, and in 1955 he arrived at the Lovedale Institute , an eminent mission school outside Alice , as part of the last class which would be permitted to follow the same curriculum as white students. At Lovedale, he was a year behind Chris Hani , his future colleague and rival in
12285-474: Was established in 2010, and covers an area of 79.14 km in the center of the island. The park includes Mount Ntringui and Mount Trindrini, Anjouan's highest and second-highest peaks, as well as Lake Dzialandzé, Anjouan's largest lake, and the Moya Forest, Anjouan's largest remaining forest. Shisiwani National Park is a marine national park, which protects the coastal waters, including coral reefs, around
12402-727: Was expanded and consolidated under his administration, was criticised precisely for benefitting only a small black elite and thereby failing to address inequality . According to academic and diplomat Gerrit Olivier , during his presidency Mbeki "succeeded in placing Africa high on the global agenda." He was known for his Pan-Africanism , having emphasised related themes both in his famous " I am an African " speech in 1996 and in his first speech to Parliament as president in June 1999, when he foregrounded his trademark ideal of an " African renaissance ." He advocated for greater solidarity among African countries and, in place of reliance on Western intervention and aid, for greater self-sufficiency for
12519-405: Was firmly opposed to forcible or manufactured regime change in Zimbabwe, and also opposed the use of sanctions. The Economist posited an "Mbeki doctrine" holding that South Africa "cannot impose its will on others, but it can help to deal with instability in African countries by offering its resources and its leadership to bring rival groups together, and to keep things calm until an election
12636-597: Was likely founded in 1482. It grew into a prosperous Swahili port, funneling traffic between the Swahili ports of Mozambique and Madagascar. Later Arab, Persian, Indian, Somali, and Malagasy sailors and traders settled in the town. By the 1700s, it was the most prosperous town in the Comoros Archipelago. During an expedition along the Swahili Coast in 1773, the commissioner Frederick Holtzappel visited
12753-411: Was not elected to any of the "Top Six" leadership positions. Sisulu was elected ANC deputy president, almost certainly as a compromise candidate, and trade unionist Cyril Ramaphosa was elected secretary general. According to historian Tom Lodge, Ramaphosa's election was a putsch carried out by the party's "internal wing," in defiance of the former exiles and political prisoners who had hitherto dominated
12870-409: Was overthrown by forces loyal to Bacar on 10 May. Peace talks were held between the Comorian and Anjouan governments whereby they agreed to hold free elections in which Mohamed Bacar would stand. Although the Union government delayed the election - citing alleged irregularities and intimidation — Bacar unilaterally printed ballots and held an illegal election in June. The result, due to electoral fraud,
12987-401: Was overthrown in a coup by army and navy officers on 9 August 2001. Mohamed Bacar soon rose to leadership of the junta that took over and by the end of the month he was the leader of the country. Despite two coup attempts in the following three months, including one by Abeid, Bacar's government remained in power and was apparently more willing to negotiate with Comoros. After the creation of
13104-429: Was promoted again: he replaced Nokwe as head of DIP, and simultaneously was appointed Tambo's political secretary, an extremely influential position in which he became one of Tambo's closest advisors and confidantes. He also continued to ghostwrite for Tambo, now in a formal capacity. At DIP, his approach was encapsulated by the change he made to the department's name, replacing "propaganda" with "publicity." He eschewed
13221-455: Was protected by the French. The main operation and, ultimately, the invasion of Anjouan began on the evening of 24 March 2008 when five boats transporting approximately 1,500 soldiers had left Mohéli on their way to Anjouan. In the early hours of 25 March 2008, an amphibious landing was made by Comoran troops supported by contingents from the African Union. The combined forces quickly advanced on
13338-573: Was sent to Lusaka , Zambia, where the ANC-in-exile had set up its new headquarters under acting president Tambo. He was to fill the post of administrative secretary to the ANC Revolutionary Council , a body newly established to coordinate the political and military efforts of the ANC and SACP. He was later moved to the propaganda section, but continued to attend the council's meetings, and in 1975 he (again alongside Hani)
13455-549: Was subsequently held in October, with over 99% voting in favour. The island then asked to be integrated again into the French Republic; but France refused. A constitution was adopted for Anjouan in a referendum on 25 February 1998. In 1999, Anjouan had internal conflicts and on 1 August of that year, the 80-year-old Foundi Abdallah Ibrahim resigned, transferring power to a national coordinator, Said Abeid . The government
13572-466: Was subsequently held in custody there by the French administration and brought to the island of Réunion , where he was charged for entering French territory illegally and possession of weapons. On 15 May 2008, France rejected Bacar's request for asylum but the French refugee office ruled that the ousted leader could not be extradited to Comoros because of the risk of persecution . France's State Secretary for Overseas, Yves Jégo , said France would support
13689-493: Was to be – as in Swaziland – the ANC's first representative to the country. Although there was some debate about whether the appointment was a signal that he had been sidelined, Gevisser says that Mbeki performed well in Lagos, establishing good relations with Olusegun Obasanjo 's regime and establishing an ANC presence to eclipse that of its rival Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). When he returned to Lusaka from Lagos in 1978, he
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