SA lost a remarkable leader in Tina Joemat-Pettersson, says Cyril Ramaphosa

SA has lost a remarkable leader who dedicated herself to improving the quality of life in her home province of the Northern Cape and the entire nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.

“We will miss the passion and vigour,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

ANC chief whip Pemmy Majodina confirmed on Monday that Tina Joemat-Pettersson, an energy minister in former president Jacob Zuma’s cabinet and the current chair of the portfolio committee on police in parliament, died at her home on Monday.

“She is no more, her family has confirmed she has passed away. I spoke to her sons as they are the ones who informed me about her passing,” she said.

“I don’t have further details for now,” said Majodina.

IOL reported last week that suspended public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s husband laid a complaint with the police accusing Joemat-Pettersson of trying to extort money from him to make the section 194 committee conducting an inquiry into her fitness to hold office “go away”.

Also during her time as the country’s energy minister, Joemat-Pettersson was implicated in two major scandals. One was the sale of the country’s reserve oil stocks, a decision later reversed by the Western Cape High Court.

The other was the controversial attempt to acquire nuclear power for SA.

With TimesLIVE

Update: June 6 2023
This story has been updated with further detail.

omarjeeh@businesslive.co.za