THABO MBEKI AS AFRICAN PANTHEON: CLAIMING THE 21ST CENTURY FOR GLOBAL AFRICA

Abstract

habo Mbeki is a global Pan-African in his own right, and one of the foremost Pan-African thought leaders of his generation. The man who was called sensitive, ruthless and hard-nosed, has left a distinct mark in pan-African discourse, both during and after his tenure as the second democratically elected president of South Africa. This strategist and tactician, who espoused a transformational and visionary leadership style, has earned his stripes, in part, by making a unique contribution to Pan-Africanism and is indeed among Pan-Africa’s Pantheons. He pursued an African Renaissance as a vision and a strategy aimed at the Africana world broadly – a Global Africa strategy.  As one of the Pan-African pantheons – heroes – he has made major contributions not just to Afro-continentalism, but also to Global Africa, in other words to continental Africa and the diaspora.