By Staff Reporter
09 DECEMBER 2015
President Jacob Zuma has appointed Member of Parliament, Mr David Van Rooyen, as the new Minister of Finance. Mr Van Rooyen serves as a Whip of the Standing Committee on Finance and as Whip of the Economic Transformation Cluster.
“I have decided to remove Mr Nhlanhla Nene as Minister of Finance, ahead of his deployment to another strategic position.
“Mr Nene has done well since his appointment as Minister of Finance during a difficult economic climate and enjoys a lot of respect in the sector locally and abroad, having also served as a Deputy Minister of Finance previously,” President Zuma said in a statement.
Mr Van Rooyen is a former Executive Mayor of Merafong Municipality and a former North West provincial chairperson of the South African Local Government Association.
He got involved in politics in the mid – 1980s and was an MK operative and soldier, holding various leadership positions in COSAS, Khutsong Student Congress, UDF Representative and was a NUM Member. He also held a number of leadership positions in the ANC from 1994 to 2007.
Mr Van Rooyen holds an advance Business Management Diploma, a Diploma in Municipal Governance, a certificate in Municipal Governance, a certificate in Councillor Development, a certificate in Municipal Finance, a certificate in Economic and Public Finance and a Masters Degree in Public Development and Management.
The University of London conferred a MSc Finance (Economic Policy) to Mr Van Rooyen on 30 July 2014. He recently acquired a certificate in Investment analysis and Portfolio management from UNISA. He has personal interests in soccer, golf, tennis, reading and hunting.
President Zuma wished Mr Van Rooyen the best in this new appointment and said the new deployment of Mr Nene will be announced in due course.
