2010-04-30
PRETORIA (Reuters) - South African President Jacob Zuma unveiled a new National Planning Commission on Friday tasked with charting a long-term and cohesive development strategy for the continent's largest economy.

Former finance minister Trevor Manuel, now National Planning Minister, will chair the body, whose 25 other members are drawn from as broad a spectrum as possible of South African industry and society.

Although the commission has no executive power it keeps Manuel, a pro-business figure hated by the African National Congress's communist and trade union allies, close to Zuma's inner circle.

Manuel's deputy will be Cyril Ramaphosa, an ex-union leader and ANC member once tipped as a possible future president, but who has largely eschewed government to become one of post-apartheid South Africa's richest black businessmen.

Key figures drawn from a list of 1,280 possibles include Bobby Godsell, a former mining executive and previously chairman of state power utility Eskom, power expert Anton Eberhard and ex-government policy maker Joel Netshitenzhe who resigned last year.

Zuma said the commission would map out South Africa's long-term needs in areas such as water, food, climate change, energy, infrastructure, housing and defence.

"While each of these areas of work relate to an aspect of government's work, the Commission is asked to take an independent, cross-cutting, critical and long-term view," Zuma told a news conference.

The commission was seen as providing a boost for Manuel over left-leaning voices around Zuma.

"Overall it seems to be a victory for Trevor Manuel over the leftist elements of cabinet, but it remains to be seen quite what influence it can have over policy formation. At the least it is a counteracting balance in the policy debate," Peter Attard Montalto, emerging markets analysts at Nomura International, said.

The commission, which will have its own full-time secretariat, would produce a "national vision" document for cabinet consumption in 18 months, Manuel said. The body is first scheduled to meet on May 10 and 11.