President P.W. Botha, who led South Africa through 11 turbulent years of racial violence and political confrontation, resigned Monday after losing a power struggle with his National Party.
Botha made the announcement in a statement prepared for delivery on national television Monday night.F.W. de Klerk, Botha's successor as National Party leader, was expected to serve as acting president until crucial parliamentary elections set for Sept. 6.
Botha, involved in a running feud with his party since he began recovering from a stroke suffered Jan. 24, said his Cabinet forced him to resign.
The statement was released by the independent South Africa Press Association prior to the televised address.
The escalating battle between Botha and his party turned into a public showdown when Botha announced Friday he had not been consulted about de Klerk's planned Aug. 28 meeting with Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.
Foreign Minister Pik Botha, who is unrelated to the president, had issued a statement Thursday evening saying that Botha had been informed of the trip.
The diplomatic mission could bolster South Africa's long-strained relations with black Africa.
Botha, who met with four black African leaders last year, had worked hard to increase South African contact with the rest of the continent and apparently felt he did not receive proper credit.
De Klerk conferred with his Cabinet colleagues Saturday and reportedly obtained their backing prior to Monday's confrontation with Botha.
All Cabinet ministers, including de Klerk, met with Botha for 31/2 hours this morning at the president's residence in Cape Town. But all those present refused comment until Botha released his statement.
Botha previously had agreed, under pressure from the party leaders, to retire after the Sept. 6 elections.
Botha, in one of his rare public comments in recent months, insisted he was not a "sulky old man."
But he never congratulated de Klerk on becoming National Party leader. Botha also refused last month to attend a farewell banquet planned for him by the National Party.
Botha had almost no political power base after he resigned as National Party leader in February but had almost unlimited government authority under the constitution he helped introduce in 1984.