Johannesburg - Newly appointed deputy finance minister Nhlanhla Nene will report for duty on Monday, but there is a lack of clarity as to his main responsibilities.
Analysts have suggested that Nene, who was the chairperson of parliament's finance portfolio committee before his appointment this week by President Kgalema Motlanthe, will have to negotiate a steep learning curve and acquaint himself with the nitty-gritties of the National Treasury's operations.
"I don't know him that well. I only met him two weeks ago when I made a presentation to the finance portfolio committee, which he chaired. But I think he is a likeable guy and I believe he is the right appointment. He is walking into a very well-run government department and he will have to learn fast," said Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt.
National Treasury spokesperson Thoraya Pandy said Nene held a meeting last week with top officials in the department where he was given a panoramic view of its operations.
He will also be taken through an intensive induction programme to fast-track his knowledge of the inner workings of the department.
Nene's rise to one of the most influential political jobs in the country has come as a surprise.
There was talk in political circles that Enoch Godongwana, an ex-trade unionist and former Eastern Cape finance MEC, would be appointed to the position to replace Jabu Moleketi, who resigned in September following the sacking of Thabo Mbeki as the president of the country.
For a long time it was taken as a given that Moleketi would replace Trevor Manuel as finance minister, once the world's longest-serving finance minister moves on. But Nene could well be Manuel's replacement.
"Manuel is not going to be there forever. Perhaps Nene will be groomed to replace him in future," said Roodt.
Judging by the manner in which the country's largest labour federation, Cosatu, received the KwaZulu-Natal-born politician's appointment, that possibility is not a pie-in-the-sky fantasy.
'Open-minded'
"We welcome the appointment of Nene as the new deputy finance minister. He is open-minded and encourages debate. We hope, like any other ANC deployee, he is going to implement the Polokwane resolutions, which are centred on eradicating poverty and unemployment," said Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven.
Nene is also known to be a good listener.
"I have known Nene for the past two years. He is a balanced guy and I find him insightful and always willing to listen," said Jac Laubscher, the chief economist at financial services group Sanlam.
Nene is also no slouch. He has an honours degree in economics from the University of the Western Cape. He is currently doing a postgraduate programme on economic principles at the University of London.
Cosatu and its leftist ally, the SA Communist Party (SACP), have always clashed with Manuel and view him as a penny-pincher.
Last month they tore into his mini-budget statement, especially his social grants increment, which they considered too small.
This week Craven did not want to be drawn on whether Nene's appointment would improve relations between Manuel and Cosatu and the SACP.
"We don't want to personalise the issue," he said.
Nene's responsibilities at the National Treasury will be discussed after November 15, when Manuel and the department's director-general, Lesetja Kganyago, return from their trip to Sao Paulo and Washington.
Manuel is said to be delighted that he has a deputy.
"The finance minister is happy that he has a deputy to share the workload with,' said Pandy.
- City Press