INSTANT VIEW: S.Africa's President Mbeki agrees to resign

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC said on Saturday it had decided to remove President Thabo Mbeki before the end of his term next year and that he had agreed to accept the move and step aside voluntarily.

Below is some reaction to the announcement:

MALESELA MALEKA, SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY

PARTY, AN ALLY OF THE ANC

"We welcome the decision. We had ourselves already earlier said we think that the president should be recalled.

"It's very important that we take this thing to refocus government on key developmental priorities.

"Part of the lesson in this thing is we should be committed to a proper review of the criminal justice system in such a way that never again (do) we get instances where individuals can be pointed at having fiddled with the criminal justice system."

ADAM HABIB, POLITICAL ANALYST, UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG,

SPEAKING ON SKY TV

"The ANC would like to see a more politically managed process. Clearly they would like Thabo Mbeki to resign, they haven't given him a date yet.

"They want to negotiate his departure date so that there isn't a vacuum in government and that at the point of his departure a new acting president can be elected."

HELEN ZILLE, LEADER OF THE MAIN OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC

ALLIANCE

"The ANC has put its own internal battle ahead of the country and made the country go through a crisis to settle its own political scores.

"There is a vacuum of leadership in the ANC and we're going to have to move to fill that vacuum, to move forward and to take the country forward as we defend the constitution."

LEON MYBURGH, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA STRATEGIST, CITIGROUP

"It all depends on how the replacement happens. We were sitting in a period of limbo with regards to policy so this move provides some clarity on the key decision-makers for the future, and on policy.

"Asking him to stand down and him agreeing to it (rather than a vote of no confidence) probably is the best scenario. This allows them to manage the process better.

"If you have the continuity of the cabinet staying largely intact I would not expect a major market reaction.

"But you will have to see how individuals react ... key decision makers like Finance Minister Trevor Manuel will be key to how the market reacts.

"The mere fact that Mbeki is not there per se is not the big issue. We all knew he was going in April anyway.

"It is unfortunate that Mbeki's term has to end in this way but the important thing is what policy decisions will be taken in the coming months."

SUSAN BOOYSEN, POLITICAL ANALYST, WITWATERSRAND UNIVERSITY

"I think that now that he (Mbeki) is out of the way, it may make it easier for many people in government to go with (ANC President Jacob) Zuma and say he is our leader.

"On one level it could lead to stability.

"I think the majority of the cabinet will stay. My impression of (Finance Minister) Trevor Manuel is that he wouldn't mind staying."

(Reporting by Gordon Bell, editing by Elizabeth Piper)