South African Competition Head Steps Down

Just a day after the resignation of the chairman of communications regulator Icasa, another top regulator has resigned – this time at the Competition Commission.

Trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel announced late on Thursday that Tembinkosi Bonakele has resigned and will be replaced in the role by Doris Tshepe, who has been “active in the competition field for many years”.

The commission has led several probes into the ICT sector in recent years, most recently into competition in online marketplaces through its “online intermediation platforms market inquiry”. The probe comes after the commission, on Bonakele’s watch, reached settlement agreements with South Africa’s big mobile operators over data pricing.

Tshepe, who will take over in September, has a BProc degree, an LLB and an LLM in tax law

Bonakele has been commissioner for the past nine years and has worked with the regulator for 18 years in total. Patel said he has “played an important role in developing the Competition Commission as an internationally recognised economic regulator”.

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