Former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki is not dead.
Wild online reports had noted that Mbeki was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday morning after a brief illness and was pronounced dead by doctors.
His foundation has refuted the rumour noting that he is alive. “We categorically deny this report and wish to assure the public that Mbeki is in good health.”
Here are five things you didn’t know about the one time number 1 South African.
1. Thabo Mbeki was South Africa’s 2nd post apartheid president. He was Deputy President to Nelson Mandela.
2. He took over from Nelson Mandela in 1999 and ruled for nine years, resigning in 2008 at the request of the African National Congress (ANC) ruling party.
3. Mandela and his father Govan Mbeki and Oliver Tambo were leaders of the ANC. Tambo was his mentor and Mbeki used to write Tambo’s speeches.
4. Thabo Mbeki lived in Nigeria from 1977 to 1978. He is believed to have lived in Yaba and was friendly with General Olusegun Obasanjo, who was military Head of State at the time.
5.Mbeki had his military training in Russia where he was known as Jack Fortune. He was however regarded as better suited to politics than the military.
6. In 2021, a news story had made the rounds that Mbeki had died of COVID. It proved to be false.