DEPUTY Minister of Economic Development Enoch Godongwana has resigned following a strained working relationship between him and his minister, Ebrahim Patel.
Godongwana handed in his resignation last year November but the Presidency persuaded him to reconsider. He however opted to leave as the minister was allegedly sidelining him.
According to insiders at the department, relations between Patel and Godongwana had strained to the point that the minister no longer consulted him on big decisions that he took in the department.
Godongwana is an ANC national executive committee member which is the highest decision making body of the party and heads its economic transformation committee. This means he is more senior than Patel in the ANC though in government Patel was his boss.
Recently Godongwana was linked to a company, Canyon Springs Investment 12, which disappeared with R100-million in workers' pensions.
The money, invested by the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union, was placed with Trilinear Empowerment Trust, which in 2007 agreed to lend R93-million to Canyon Springs Investment 12.
The investment company (Canyon Springs Investment 12) was lent the money to enable it to buy an unlisted company, but the deal did not take off, and the loan could not be repaid.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Godongwana had resigned to pursue personal interests.
"He informed President Zuma of his intention early in December and the president asked him to stay on until mid-January.
"The president has accepted the resignation and thanked the deputy minister for his dedicated service and duty to his portfolio and to the national executive in general," said Maharaj.
"We wish him well in his future endeavours but we are certain that his work experience and expertise will not be entirely lost to the public service but will be utilised elsewhere in the pursuit of the goal of meaningful economic transformation," Maharaj said.
Godongwana has served in the Eastern Cape as MEC for economic affairs, environment and tourism.
Enoch Godongwana resigns
DEPUTY Minister of Economic Development Enoch Godongwana has resigned following a strained working relationship between him and his minister, Ebrahim Patel.
Godongwana handed in his resignation last year November but the Presidency persuaded him to reconsider. He however opted to leave as the minister was allegedly sidelining him.
According to insiders at the department, relations between Patel and Godongwana had strained to the point that the minister no longer consulted him on big decisions that he took in the department.
Godongwana is an ANC national executive committee member which is the highest decision making body of the party and heads its economic transformation committee. This means he is more senior than Patel in the ANC though in government Patel was his boss.
Recently Godongwana was linked to a company, Canyon Springs Investment 12, which disappeared with R100-million in workers' pensions.
The money, invested by the SA Clothing and Textile Workers' Union, was placed with Trilinear Empowerment Trust, which in 2007 agreed to lend R93-million to Canyon Springs Investment 12.
The investment company (Canyon Springs Investment 12) was lent the money to enable it to buy an unlisted company, but the deal did not take off, and the loan could not be repaid.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Godongwana had resigned to pursue personal interests.
"He informed President Zuma of his intention early in December and the president asked him to stay on until mid-January.
"The president has accepted the resignation and thanked the deputy minister for his dedicated service and duty to his portfolio and to the national executive in general," said Maharaj.
"We wish him well in his future endeavours but we are certain that his work experience and expertise will not be entirely lost to the public service but will be utilised elsewhere in the pursuit of the goal of meaningful economic transformation," Maharaj said.
Godongwana has served in the Eastern Cape as MEC for economic affairs, environment and tourism.
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