Choose your title for this first blog on the post-Mbeki era: Packing for Perth; In for the Long Haul; Politicians Come and Go; Seize the Moment...

I write this as the breaking news comes through that President Thabo Mbeki is being 'recalled' by the ANC. Well, Presidents and Prime Ministers come and go - and like good soldiers some get knifed in the back (Thatcher), some fall on their swords (Blair), some try to re-invent themselves (Clinton).

But South Africa is a young democracy (less than 5,500 days old) and we have not had much experience of this kind of thing. Mandela retired after one term - that was it. Now Mbeki, who refused to do the decent thing and go quietly, and kicked out in what is effectively a mutiny at the gates of the Union Buildings. It may well be that other Cabinet members follow him - certainly Deputy President Ngcuka will not stay around.

So what next? We will live in interesting days for the next while as the dust settles. The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Baleka Mbete, is likely to be appointed as Acting President for an interim period. But we will need some certainty soon.

My hope is that the new President will lead a more collective and accountable approach to governance and policy-making. Of course, there is the potential now for a more pro-active approach to addressing issues of poverty, crime and HIV in the country, and a foreign policy that builds on the achievements of the Mbeki-era in peace-making in Central Africa to support a genuine and sustainable way forward for the people of Zimbabwe.

We also need to move beyond the 'big man' perspective on leadership. There are people of calibre within the ANC who can move into new positions in government - they come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. A good indication of how South Africa will move forward will be whether we can move beyond patrimonial politics and bring people into government because of their skills and abilities and not as reward for loyalty in past battles.