Johannesburg  - South Africa was thrown into turmoil Sunday after the governing African National Congress (ANC) called on President Thabo Mbeki on Saturday to resign over evidence of political interference in a case against ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

The ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters the party's National Executive Committee had "decided to recall the president of the republic before his term of office expires".

Mbeki, who is in the final months of his second five-year term as president, has yet to indicate whether he is ready to accede to their demand.

Mantashe said Mbeki, 66, had "welcomed the news and agreed that he is going to participate in the process and the formalities" which would move to parliament.

He also stressed that Mbeki would remain president until a new leader was found and that the party was not keen on early elections, despite finding itself in "uncharted waters".

Zuma, also 66, is the ANC's candidate to lead the party into elections slated for next year, but Zuma is not a member of parliament, making it unlikely he will succeed Mbeki in the interim.

The NEC made the announcement after several hours of talks behind closed doors on the president's fate, which come just five days after Mbeki was the toast of the world for brokering a power-sharing deal in Zimbabwe.

Mbeki's neck has been on the ANC's chopping block since September 12, when a High Court judge setting aside corruption charges against Zuma, 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 Mbeki in an ANC leadership vote.

The court ruling was seen by Zuma's allies as a vindication of their long-held claim that he was being "persecuted, not prosecuted." The National Prosecuting Authority has vowed to appeal the decision

Mbeki and Zuma have been foes ever since Mbeki sacked Zuma as his deputy in 2005 on suspicion of corruption in an arms deal.

Zuma came back to oust Mbeki as party leader, leaving Mbeki a lame-duck president.

Analysts say the showdown between Mbeki and Zuma could cost the party votes at the election. The party is expected to easily win the election but its more than two-thirds majority could be dented.

Aware of that danger, Zuma had resisted calls by the militant ANC Youth League for Mbeki to be shown the door, saying at the weekend there was no point in "beating a dead snake."

The ousting of Mbeki could also cost the party in experienced government hands. Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has already said she will resign if Mbeki resigns amid speculation that several other Mbeki loyalists in cabinet could also walk.

Foreign investors will be watching closely to see whether they manage to retain Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, a particularly strong performer.

If Mbeki agrees to resign, in the absence of Mlambo-Ngcuka, the acting president is either a minister chosen by the president, a minister chosen by cabinet or the speaker of parliament, Baleka Mbete, in that order.

If Mbeki refuses to go quietly, the party has two options.

It could either try to remove him on the basis of serious misconduct, violation of the constitution or unfitness for office, a move that requires a two-thirds majority in the
400-member National Assembly, where the ANC has 297 seats.

Or the National Assembly could pass a vote of no-confidence in Mbeki, which requires just a simple majority, but also requires the whole cabinet to resign. (dpa)