Johannesburg, September 20, SPA --South African President Thabo Mbeki onSaturday agreed to step down after his African National Congress(ANC) party asked him to leave office, his spokesman MukoniRatshitanga said in a statement, DPA reported The ANC had earlier called for Mbeki to step aside over evidenceof political interference in the corruption case of Mbeki's rival,ANC leader Jacob Zuma. "Following the decision of the National Executive Committee of theAfrican National Congress to recall President Thabo Mbeki, thePresident has obliged and will step down after all constitutionalrequirements have been met," Ratshitanga said. Mbeki, who is in the final months of his second five-year term aspresident, was expected to address a press conference Saturdayafternoon at Union Buildings. Zuma, also 66, is the ANC's candidate to lead the party into elections slated for next year, but Zuma is not a member ofparliament, making it unlikely he will succeed Mbeki in the interim. The NEC made the announcement of Mbeki's recall after severalhours of talks behind closed doors on the president's fate, whichcome just five days after Mbeki was the toast of the world forbrokering a power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe. Mbeki's neck has been on the ANC's chopping block since September12, when a High Court judge setting aside corruption charges againstZuma, found evidence of a political hidden hand in the case. The judge inferred Mbeki interfered with the judicial process,noting Zuma was charged in December 2007 days after he defeated Mbekiin an ANC leadership vote. Normally, when the presidency is vacated, the deputy presidenttakes over, but Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has said shewill leave with Mbeki. In that case the acting president is either a minister chosen byMbeki, a minister chosen by cabinet or the speaker of parliament,Baleka Mbete, in that order.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/591767