Mosebenzi Zwane Biography: Age, Net Worth, House, Wife, Education, Qualifications, Vrede Dairy Farm Saga & Current Position

Mosebenzi Zwane Biography

Mosebenzi Joseph Zwane is a South African politician and former minister of mineral resources under president Jacob Zuma.

He holds a bachelor’s degree and began his political career decades ago. Born in Vrede in the Free State, he stands out as one of the founding members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in Roadside, which is part of his home state.

In the intervening years, he had snapped other positions, including that of the chairperson of the Regional Executive Committee (REC).

His most important appointment to date happens to be that of a minister. It not only thrust him into national prominence but also became the prelude to the current corruption case hanging on his neck. He had reportedly used state funds to sponsor the wedding of the Guptas. And now he’s being held to account.

Age

Those who have been asking questions about the former minister’s age have often met s brick wall. Mosebenzi Zwane is one man who would rather keep many things about himself private. So his date of birth and exact age remains unknown.

That notwithstanding, he’s known to have been born in Vrede, Free State, South Africa. And the town has been associated with him for almost his entire political career, especially as regards investigation for corruption.

Net Worth

Mosebenzi Zwane’s exact net worth is unknown, and you will never find him discussing anything in that direction. Expectedly, members of the public have been doing the talking.

His estimated net is about R50 million.

House

Details about Mosebenzi Zwane’s current residence are not known. In other reports, though, he was singled out for criticism and mockingly called “king of Warden,” not only because of his influence in the town but also because, at the time, he owned the only two-storey house in Warden, with one-way windows that glitter in the sun.

The structure’s opulence contrasts with everything else in the town, which appeared to be under the terrorism of dust and lack of development. This was years back.

The former minister was involved in the R1 billion housing project. He had reportedly built 50 low-cost houses at a price of R28 million for each house.

Years later, when he was no longer minister and Jacob Zuma had been ousted as president, the State Captured Commission ruled that the housing project was riddled with corruption. Accordingly, a recommendation was given for money to be recovered from Zwane and his associates.

Wife

Who is Mosebenzi Zwane’s wife? That is one question many South Africans have been asking but have no answers to yet. If the former minister is married, he has done a great job of keeping that information away from the public.

Or perhaps his wife is the publicity-hating type. Whatever the case, details about her remain shrouded in mystery. If we get that information, we’ll, of course, update this post.

Education

He might not be the most educated, but Mosebenzi Zwane has risen pretty fast in the government. However, his influence appeared to have waned following his exit as a minister.

He obtained a secondary teacher’s diploma from the South Africa Teachers College and a bachelor’s degree in business commerce from the University of South Africa. He also studied executive leadership municipal development at the University of Pretoria.

Qualifications

He holds a bachelor’s degree and an executive certificate. However, he doesn’t have a PhD at the time of writing.

Vrede Dairy Farm Saga

On Wednesday, September 28, Mosebenzi Zwane was arrested alongside two others for corruption in what has been dubbed the Vrede Dairy Farm Saga.

The R280 million Vrede dairy farm project dates back to 2012, when Zwane was a minister and part of the government of then-president Jacob Zuma. The farm project was originally meant to benefit previously disadvantaged local farmers.

However, as the National Prosecuting Authority would note later, the project, which was done in collaboration with Estina, a company owned by the Gupta brothers, achieved the exact opposite: It destroyed the lives of those it was meant to empower.

Findings by the NPA showed that the project was designed to extricate funds from the state and not to empower the power as initially advertised with fanfare. As a minister, Zwane is at the centre of the whole investigation.

He was granted bail alongside the other accused in the sum of R10,000.

Current Position

He is a member of the National Assembly of South Africa. He formerly served as a minister under former president Jacob Zuma. And like his principal, he is still under investigation for corruption. He was recently arrested to answer questions regarding his role in the Estina dairy project.