At the Guptas’ service

SINCE his appointment as mineral resources minister late last year, Mosebenzi Zwane has rarely been seen by the public. This is despite the mining industry going through a really difficult period, one that requires state-led initiatives aimed at saving jobs and making companies in the sector attractive to investors once again.

Zwane’s appointment was controversial, coming as it did on the back of the inexplicable axing of his predecessor, Ngoako Ramatlhodi. But South Africa respected the president’s prerogative to appoint him to his cabinet.

However, concerns lingered, especially because of Zwane’s inexperience in this sector and his apparent relationship with President Jacob Zuma’s friends, the Guptas.

News that the minister flew to Switzerland at the end of last year for talks between the Guptas and commodities giant Glencore over the sale of a coal mine can only heighten concerns over Zwane’s role in the cabinet.

Was he appointed to this crucial post to do the bidding for the president’s friends? Why did he deem it necessary for him to be part of the negotiations between Glencore and a Guptaowned firm when this has not been the norm with many other private deals struck over the years?

In an economic environment in which our country needs all the help it can get, we can only be harmed by a perception — real or not — that our policymakers and state decision-makers are influenced by individuals and companies.

Zwane may not have broken any law, but he strengthened suspicions that the Zuma administration is always available to give a hand to the Guptas whenever needed.