( AFP ) - South African President Thabo Mbeki was humiliatingly toppled Tuesday from the helm of the ruling ANC by arch-rival Jacob Zuma , the man he sacked as deputy head of state two years ago.
After a bitter election contest which also saw Mbeki's chief lieutenants lose out in the battle for the other top posts in the African National Congress, Zuma was formally declared the winner after garnering around 60 percent of the vote.
"The number of votes received by Comrade Thabo Mbeki was 1,505. The number of votes received by Comrade Jacob Zuma is 2 ,329 ," Dren Nupen , head of the party's elections commission said.
As the result was announced, Mbeki hugged Zuma while delegates erupted into chants of "ANC, ANC". He then trudged off stage alone, as his beaming nemesis milked the applause.
Victory caps a remarkable comeback for the scandal-plagued Zuma , who still faces the prospect of being charged with corruption.
While Mbeki has two years left as the country's president, his authority has been badly undermined and now has to contend with a rival presidency at the ANC's Luthuli House headquarters in Johannesburg.
Billionaire businessman Tokyo Sexwale , a one-time leadership contender who endorsed Zuma , said the result showed the desire for change.
"The people have been vindicated. Democracy in South Africa has spoken and South Africans can rest assured that we are looking forward to a good cabinet," he told AFP.
Zwelinzima Vavi , head of the COSATU labour federation and a close ally of Zuma , could hardly contain his glee at the defeat of the pro-business Mbeki.
"In a snooker game they call it whitewash, I call it a massacre," he said.
"It's a victory for workers, they are celebrating all over the country right now."
The 65-year-old Zuma was sacked by Mbeki as deputy head of state in 2005 when his financial advisor was jailed for fraud. Later Zuma stood trial for raping a family friend less than half his age.
Although Zuma was acquitted, he was widely ridiculed for testifying he had showered after sex with his HIV-positive accuser in order to prevent infection.
Given the ANC's large majority in parliament, Zuma would normally almost be guaranteed the job of state president in elections in 2009 after his victory in the party contest.
But he faces being charged with corruption after losing a recent court bid to have a series of search warrants declared illegal.
An ethnic Zulu whose earthy charm contrasts sharply with the aloof Mbeki, Zuma has cashed in on growing disillusionment with the government's failure to eradicate poverty in the 13 years since the end of whites-only rule.
Although Mbeki, also 65, can point to an uninterrupted period of growth, unemployment is unofficially estimated to be around 40 percent.
Many analysts believe however that Mbeki's defeat was more as a result of his aloof and authoritarian style which had alienated many in his party rather than a firm vote of confidence in Zuma .
"He irritated a lot of people. Some of that you have to do when you are in power, but much of it could have been avoided," said Steven Friedman of the Pretoria-based Institute for Democracy in South Africa.
Deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad , one of Mbeki's closest allies, said it was important the ANC now unite after the conference exposed deep divisions.
"All of us in the ANC, irrespective of who we voted for, must all rally behind the leadership because you cannot solve any of the country's problems without a united ANC."
Helen Zille , leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance, called it "a dismal day, not only for the ANC, but for South Africa."
"It is an indictment on the ruling party that they could find no better candidate than Jacob Zuma to lead them," she said.
Kgalema Motlanthe , the outgoing secretary-general who will serve as Zuma's deputy, denied there were disagreements over policies which he said were reached by consensus at a five-yearly conference which was last held in June.
"We have communists in our ranks, we have hard-nosed capitalists in our ranks. To keep them together... through engagement and persuasion we agree on a consensus position," he told reporters.
Motlanthe won the deputy presidency in a vote against Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma , an ally of Mbeki who is also Zuma's ex-wife.