Former Mineral Resources Minister and Free State Agriculture MEC, Mosebenzi Zwane, will, on the other hand, be the chairperson of the Transport Portfolio Committee.

The two names were revealed alongside other parliamentary committee chairs to head various committees in the National Assembly during the sixth term of parliament. The ANC Chief Whip, Pemmy Majodina, says all ANC Chairperson nominees who previously faced allegations of corruption have been taken through the Integrity Commission and have been cleared. She says the principle of innocent until proven guilty will be applied to those with pending court cases.

Meanwhile, social media users have received the announcement of the chairpersons with mixed emotions. While some have commended the party for the nominations, others have gone to raise concerns over former ministers such as Faith Muthambi who have been implicated in state capture.

Both former North West Premier and former Free State MEC are amongst those who have been implicated in state capture.

While Mahumapelo stood accused of corruption cases involving the Gupta-linked Mediosa company and bursaries worth more than R1 million from a state arms manufacturer Denel for his son Oarabile Mahumapelo, amongst other corruption cases. Zwane has allegedly been linked to the controversial Vrede Dairy Farm project in the Free State as he was the MEC for the provincial Agriculture Department when more than R220 million earmarked for farmers was syphoned off the province. 

Mahumapelo resigned from his premiership position last year following violent service delivery protests and calls for this resignation. Zwane, on the other hand, left the Free State province to take up a ministerial position under former Jacob Zuma’s cabinet.

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