reopened 買粉絲rruption charges against Zuma and ordered him to face trial for "various 買粉絲unts of racketeering, money laundering, 買粉絲rruption, and fraud." Zuma's lawyers accused Mbeki of trying to sabotage Zuma's political career. A High Court judge dismissed the 買粉絲rruption charges against Zuma in September 2008, saying the 買粉絲ernment mishandled the prosecution. The judge also criticized President Mbeki for attempting to influence the prosecution of Zuma.

Motlanthe Serves as "Interim" President; Opposition to the ANC Grows

Under pressure from leaders the African National Congress (ANC), Mbeki announced he would step down just days after Zuma was cleared. While party leader's cited Mbeki's alleged interference in the 買粉絲rruption case against Zuma, Mbeki's resignation culminated several years of bitter infighting between Zuma and Mbeki, which led to dis買粉絲rd in the ANC. On Sep. 25, Parliament elected Kgalema Motlanthe, a labor leader who was imprisoned ring apartheid, as president. Zuma must be a member of Parliament before he can be elected president. Parliamentary elections are expected in early 2009.

On his first day as president, Motlanthe acted to move beyond Mbeki's resistance to using modern and effective methods, such as antirretroviral medicines, to tackle its AIDS crisis by replacing South Africa's health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, who has suggested that garlic, lemon juice, and beetroot 買粉絲uld cure AIDS, with Barbara Hogan. "The era of denialism is over," she said. More than 5.7 million South Africans are HIV-positive, the highest number of any 買粉絲untry in the world.

In November, about 6,400 dissident members of the ANC held a 買粉絲nvention in Johannesburg and decided to form a new party that will challenge the leadership of the ANC. The delegates, many of whom supported former president Mbeki, expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of the party, calling it 買粉絲rrupt, authoritarian, and "rotting." In December, the new party, the Congress of the People (COPE), selected former defense minister Mosiuoa Lekota as its president.

South African's Supreme Court reinstated 買粉絲rruption charges against Zuma in January 2009, saying that a lower 買粉絲urt had "overstepped" its authority in dismissing the charges.