The Rhodes Business School, Rhodes University and the Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Development Trust, are very pleased to advise our 6th Speaker for this annual event is Mr Mcebisi Jonas.

This year, the lecture will be delivered virtually. To register in advance for this webinar, please click on the following link:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_83g9xiaRRvqdDrUaeaY9Hg



Our Speaker

Mcebisi Hubert Jonas was born in 1960 in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape. He matriculated at Newell High School in Port Elizabeth and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History & Sociology at Vista University. He furthered his studies with a Higher Diploma in Education at Rhodes University.

Mr Jonas' roots in the Eastern Cape, run very deep.

During the anti-apartheid years, he led a number of political activities both within South Africa and in exile. He played a key role in the establishment of the United Democratic Front in the Eastern Cape. Upon his return from exile in the 1990s, Mr Jonas was central to establishing the ruling African National Congress structures in the Eastern Cape.

With the advent of our new democracy, Mr Jonas played a key political leadership role in the Eastern Cape. Amongst other provincial ministerial positions, he served as a Finance MEC in the province, the Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, a state-owned entity, which successfully amalgamated various smaller development institutions.

He also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Investment and Marketing in the Eastern Cape, developing the investment promotion agenda for the province, which resulted in the establishment of the ECDC, the Coega Industrial Development Zone and the East London Industrial Development Zone.

Jonas previously served as Deputy Minister of Finance and as a Member of Parliament from 2014 to 2017. During this time, he helped to steer South Africa?s economy through one of the country?s most difficult post-democratic periods. He also served as Chairperson and Non-Executive Director of the Public Investment Corporation, the state-owned pension fund manager and one of Africa?s largest investment managers.

As he relates in his book, 'After Dawn, Hope after State Capture', in October 2015, he was offered the position of Minister of Finance in exchange for R600 million. Needless to say, he turned down the bribe, after which a period of deep introspection followed for him. The question is posed in his book, "How did we reach this point, and what did the futurehold for South Africa's democracy and the economy?"

Mr Jonas' activism has defined his political and business career, and the country can be especially grateful for the seminal role he played in the courageous push back against state capture.

Mcebisi Jonas is one of four Presidential Investment Envoys, appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to attract USD100-billion investment to South Africa.

He serves as a non-executive director in different company boards and is the Non-Executive Chairperson of MTN Ltd.