Pretoria - Thembinkosi Bonakele has been appointed as the acting Competition Commissioner, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel announced yesterday.
Bonakele’s appointment is effective as of today. The acting commissioner has served the Competition Commission in all key divisions over the past nine years. Among the positions he served in is that of senior legal counsel, head of compliance and head of mergers and acquisitions, among others.
Patel’s announcement follows the resignation of Shan Ramburuth as Competition Commissioner following an investigation undertaken into his fitness to hold office.
Bonakele was appointed to ensure continuity and the need for coherent leadership, said Patel.
"The Competition Commission is a vital institution in our efforts to build a dynamic economy and it has a skilled and capable staff that will ensure the Commission continues to perform its statutory functions. Mr Bonakele brings expertise in the field of competition policy and extensive knowledge of the Commission and his presence will help the Commission during the period when a new Commissioner will be identified and appointed," Patel said on Sunday.
Bonakele, who holds an LLB and MBA qualifications, will hold the post for a period of six months while a recruitment process is undertaken to appoint a new commissioner.
The Competition Commission is a statutory body that is empowered to investigate, control and evaluate restrictive business practices, abuse of dominant positions and mergers in order to achieve equity and efficiency in the South African economy. - SAnews.gov.za
