Rob Davies (politician)

Rob Davies ( born May 12, 1948) is a South African politician of the African National Congress ( ANC ), and since May 2009, Minister of Trade and Industry.

Life

Davies studied after school economics at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics from. A subsequent post-graduate studies in international relations at the University of Sussex, he finished in 1971 with a Master of Social Science in International Relations. Then he stayed at the University of Sussex and received there in 1977 a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. Between 1979 and 1990 worked at the Centre of African Studies at Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo.

Upon his return to South Africa Davies was, who was also a member of the South African Communist Party ( SACP ) at times, in 1990 Professor and Co - Director of the newly established Centre for South African Studies (Centre of South African Studies ), which joined the University of the Western Cape in Belville is. This activity he held until 1994. In addition, he worked as a scientist at the Southern African Development Community ( SADC ) and the ANC.

His political career began after 1994 when he was first elected as a candidate of the African National Congress as a member of the National Assembly, and this has since consulted. During his long parliamentary membership, he initially from 1996 to 2004 Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Industry and the connection between 2004 and 2005 Chairman of the Finance Committee.

He was Vice- Minister, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the closest collaborator of the then Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa 2005. After the election of Jacob Zuma as the new president of South Africa Davies was appointed by this on May 10, 2009 as the successor Mpahlwas itself as Minister of Trade and Industry in the cabinet Zuma. In his political work in this department he is supported by two Vice Ministers Thandi Tobias and Maria Ntuli.