The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa, on Wednesday appointed Tembinkosi Bonakele as the deputy commissioner of the Competition Commission.

Bonakele was previously the divisional manager or mergers and acquisitions at the commission, and under his supervision, about 480 of the 513 mergers notified last year were finalised.

Bonakele’s promotion would entrust him with the responsibility to ensure the consistent implementation of the agency’s strategic plan and integrated cross-divisional work in targeted sectors such as food and agroprocessing, telecommunications, and infrastructure and construction.

“Bonakele will be responsible for overseeing the operations of the commission. By working closely with the enforcement and exemption division, and the policy and research team, Bonakele was effective in applying shared knowledge to assessing the competitive nature of our economy when reviewing mergers. As deputy commissioner, he can help the organisation institutionalise this ethos,” said commissioner Shan Ramburuth.

The Competition Act required at least one deputy commissioner with ‘suitable qualifications and experience in economics, law, commerce, industry, or public affairs to assist the Commissioner in carrying out the affairs of the Competition Commission’.

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