There's enough palace intrigue behind the resignation of South Africa President Thabo Mbeki to make a Shakespearean play.
The rest of the world must hope that all's well that ends well. South Africa has become the economic model that other nations on the continent wish to emulate. But the likelihood of a political struggle following Mbeki's ouster raises fears.
With his resignation Sunday came reports that members of the African National Congress party still loyal to Mbeki might form a new party to challenge the ANC. Nothing wrong with that, so long as they use the ballot box to achieve their goals.
Mbeki was forced to resign after the ANC told him it would seek his recall. The party was responding to a judge's opinion that Mbeki's government had interfered in the prosecution of Mbeki's nemesis, ANC president Jacob Zuma, who was accused of taking bribes from a French arms dealer.
Mbeki's tenure as president may have been more lamentable than praiseworthy. The successor to Nelson Mandela did continue austere economic policies, which have in large part served the nation. But unemployment remains at nearly 25 percent and many of the poor question whether they have been shortchanged in apartheid's aftermath.
Furthermore, Mbeki cannot be excused for latching on to scurrilous scientific theories that AIDS is not caused by a virus. Thousands died because Mbeki didn't get them medicine. He may claim as a success the new power-sharing pact in Zimbabwe that he helped to negotiate. But it might have come sooner had he not been cowed by his mentor, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe.
Mbeki's successor will have opportunities to do better for all of Africa.