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“elaborate and put in place the transformation policies [the country] needed”. 424While an interim constitution had been devised by the Conference for a DemocraticSouth Africa (CODESA) in 1993, prior to the drafting of the new Constitution,adopted in 1996, policies to guide the transformation of South Africa’s political,economic and social environment had now to be devised, and implemented.Hence, the key aim of Thabo Mbeki’s first term as state president was the‘implementation’ of various policy proposals developed during his tenure as deputypresident under Nelson Mandela. While Nelson Mandela’s term of office was seenas emphasising ‘reconciliation’, Mbeki’s was widely expected to be characterised by amore ‘normal’ approach to political conflict and the building of political support. 425However, Mbeki’s tenure started uncertainly in spite of his overwhelmingpredominance within the ANC. This seemingly strong position saw him propelledto the Party leadership at the 50th National Conference at Mafikeng in 1997. 426 Ademanding context shaped by three factors marked the uncertainty of the early daysof his administration: succeeding the superlative statesman, Nelson Mandela; thedramatic and exaggerated impact of increased global economic interdependence, or‘globalisation’; and, the intractability of South Africa’s own socio-economicproblems. 427Mbeki’s sense of purpose was revealed in a far-reaching restructuring of the state’spolicymaking organs during his first term (see Chapter 4). In terms of its overallvision and mission, foreign policy appeared to acquire a clearer rationale, as itbecame more aligned with the ANC’s dramatic switch from its domesticReconstruction and Development Programme, to the Growth, Employment andRedistribution Strategy in 1996. In foreign policy, this shift signalled that424 Thabo Mbeki, Presidential Speech at 51 st National Conference of the ANC,Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 16 December, 2002. Accessed online at:www.anc.org.za on 1 November 2010.425 Hein Marais, (1998), cited in Sean Jacobs and Richard Calland, “Introduction: ThaboMbeki: Myth and Context”, in Thabo Mbeki’s World: The politics and ideology of theSouth African president, eds., Jacobs and Calland (Pietermaritzburg: University of NatalPress, 2003): 4. For more on the contrasts between the presidencies of Mandela andMbeki, see Alden and Le Pere, “South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Foreign Policy”.426 For detailed accounts of Mbeki’s path to power within the ANC, see Mervyn Gumede,Thabo Mbeki and the Battle for the Soul of the ANC; Gevisser, The Dream Deferred.427 Jacobs and Calland, Thabo Mbeki’s World,15.179