South Africa's parliament on Thursday elected Kgalema Motlanthe, deputy leader of the ruling ANC, as interim president of a country gripped by the worst political crisis since the end of apartheid. Motlanthe, overwhelmingly elected in a secret ballot, replaces Thabo Mbeki, who resigned on Sunday after nine years in power. The ANC withdrew its backing for Mbeki after a judge suggested he had interfered in a graft case against his arch rival, party leader Jacob Zuma, who is widely expected to become president in a general election next year. Almost one-third of South Africa's cabinet stepped down on Tuesday out of loyalty to Mbeki, who presided over South Africa's longest period of economic growth. Motlanthe said the new government would not change economic policy but would intensify efforts to create more jobs. “In a turbulent global economy, we will remain true to the policies that have kept South Africa steady, and that have ensured sustained growth,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery, after parliament elected him interim president. Motlanthe, a quiet spoken leftist intellectual and ally of Zuma, faces huge challenges including slowing economic growth and high inflation. Officials said on Thursday consumer inflation hit its highest level since before the end of apartheid in August, at 13.7 percent. Reflecting the ANC's dominance of parliament, Motlanthe won 269 votes from members of parliament, compared to 50 for the candidate of the opposition Democratic Alliance. ANC parliamentarians greeted the announcement of the vote with cheers and clapping. The upheaval in the ANC has raised concerns of instability in Africa's biggest economy.
