The drama started more than three years ago, when then-President Mbeki relieved Jacob Zuma of his duties as Deputy President, continued with the changing of the party leadership guard at Polokwane in December and culminated in a week that saw Mbeki resign, followed by a host of Cabinet ministers, and the instalment of South Africa's third post-apartheid President.
These events are the consequences of the monumental power struggle within the ruling party. Despite the denials from within the party, there is little doubt that the ANC is in crisis. As a result, the ANC-led Government is in a state of flux, but does that mean that South Africa itself is in crisis?
Not according to South Africa's leading political experts. In fact, the experts believe that the week's developments have been good for the country.
According to the deputy vice chancellor of the University of Johannesburg Adam Habib, the developments of the week were a sign of the maturation of our democracy.
"This suggests that our institutions are working," believes Habib. "After 14 years of transition, the fact that our institutions can withstand these pressures is a vindication of our democracy."
Speaking at a conference in Pretoria on Thursday, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy Steven Friedman said: "This country is not in a crisis. In fact, it has taken a significant step forward."
While Friedman believes that the circumstances around Mbeki's removal are a cause for concern, the resignation of a President is fairly common in democratic systems.
"That people regard the resignation of a President as a crisis indicates that South Africans are not used to democracy. We are used to people staying in power for ages," he said.
In the past month alone, the prime ministers of more established democracies - Israel and Japan - have resigned, without any suggestion of a national crisis.
Friedman continued, saying that we experienced a change in leadership this week that was achieved constitutionally and without ripples in the streets, at a much earlier stage than most young democracies in the past.
What's more, he said, a clear signal has been sent to future South African Presidents that they can't take their power or their office for granted.
In fact, said Friedman, the only crisis we faced this week was that some ministers who should be released hadn't resigned! He didn't mention any names, but thoughts of beetroot, African potatoes and olive oil hung in the air amid the laughter that followed.
As political analyst Aubrey Matshiqi said, "we use the word crisis far too lightly in South Africa… but politicians deny a crisis far too easily."
Matshiqi believes that tests and challenges are vital to a democracy and that we can only be proud of our democracy when it responds appropriately to these challenges.
"Our democracy is undergoing a test. The big questions is: will it pass?"
The early signs look good.
Friedman said that he couldn't see anything 'even vaguely unconstitutional' around the political manoeuvrings of the week and Habib agreed, saying that the 'explosion' had happened within the realms of our institutional framework.
"This is worth celebrating," he said.
The consequences also look promising. Kgalema Motlanthe's speech (during which he pledged to maintain our economic policies, and to place a renewed focus on reducing poverty and fighting crime) was excellent, Manto Tshabalala Msimang has been shifted away from the Health Department and Trevor Manuel has been re-hired as Minister of Finance.
The opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance, the Independent Democrats and the Freedom Front Plus, welcomed Motlanthe's appointment and urged him to show strong leadership, to continue with the policies that are working and to open a judicial commission into the arms deal.
A week is a long time in South African politics. And this week seemed like an age. We've emerged from the latest 'crisis' stronger, wiser and more mature. There will be thousands more bumps along the road. That is what democracy is all about. That's what we've signed up for. When we hit these future tests to our democracy, I hope that we are able to negotiate them as we have done this week: within the bounds of our Constitution and in a dignified, ordered, respectful manner.
By Ian Macdonald
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