Nelson Mandela used to be the South African President.
Nelson Mandela . He declined a second presidential term and in 1999 was succeeded by his deputy , Thabo Mbeki . Thabo Mbeki . ( [ tʰaɓɔ mbɛːkʼi ] ; born 18 June 1942 ) is a South African politician who served as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008 .