[miningmx.com] – WHY would South African president, Jacob Zuma, change the guard at the beleaguered Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on the eve of the ANC’s policy conference and the long anticipated Mining Phakisa set to take place at the end of October?
“It’s inexplicable,” said James Lorimer, DA-MP who represents his party on the mining
oversight committee at parliament. “Does it mean Ramatlhodi didn’t deliver in his
portfolio? Or it could mean that it doesn’t matter who the new mines minister is, as
he’ll be taking his orders from Luthuli House anyway.”
In a surprise cabinet reshuffle, Zuma last night appointed the relatively unknown
Mosebenzi Zwane, who hails from South Africa’s Free State province, as Ngoako Ramatlhodi’s replacement.
Zwane was very recently appointed as ANC-MP, after serving as MEC in the Free State
provincial government. He is said to be a close ally of Free State premier Ace Magashule – a staunch Zuma loyalist.
Peter Leon, a partner in the Mining Sector Group at Webber Wentzel, was as surprised
about Zwane’s appointment.
“I really thought Ramatlhodi took a pragmatic approach to the industry rather than an ideological one. The industry is facing challenging conditions with low commodity markets and concerns about regulation. By appointing a new mines minister so close to the Mining Phakisa is not particularly good planning.”
The Chamber of Mines said in a media statement it “notes the announcement” of the
new minister. “Chamber president, Mike Teke, CEO Roger Baxter and their team look
forward to meeting Minister Zwane at the earliest opportunity to wish him all the best
for his tenure, to hear his perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the
industry, and to convey the industry’s views on these matters to him.”
The body also thanked Ramatlhodi for his “openness to frank discussions”. In many
circles Ramatlhodi, who hails from Limpopo province, have been lauded for being
more accommodating and reasonably than his predecessor Susan Shabangu.
Political scientist Andre Duvenhage, who lectures at the North West University, is of
the view that Ramatlhodi’s move to the late Collins Chabane’s portfolio as the new
minister of public service and administration was driven by Zuma’s need to
consolidate his power base.
“Collins Chabane had influence in Limpopo and his death created a leadership vacuum
– something Ramatlhodi as a Zuma loyalist can fill.
“The president seems to want to use Ramatlhodi in the imminent power struggle between the Zuma-grouping and the Ramaphosa-Mantashe faction.’
According to Duvenhage, two significant power struggles are emerging with Zuma and
the so-called premier league (consisting of premiers of Mpumalanga, Free State, and
North West ) on the one side and a faction driven by ANC secretary general Gwede
Mantashe and deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa on the other.
Who is Mosebenzi Zwane?
Mosebenzi Joseph Zwane was born in Vrede in the Eastern Free State. He obtained his
secondary teacher’s diploma from the South African Teachers College in Pretoria, and
a certificate in executive leadership municipal development from the University of
Pretoria.
Currently studying for a BCom in financial management at the University of South
Africa he served in the Free State provincial government as MEC of Economic, Small
Business Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs.
He was only recently deployed to the National Assembly as an ANC-MP and is
relatively unknown outside the Free State.
