President Thabo Mbeki took a calculated risk by appointing Phumzile Mlambo-Ncguka to replace former deputy president Jacob Zuma yesterday.

Mbeki’s new deputy, like her predecessor, is linked to, and could be implicated in, a scandal that has yet to be resolved.

While Mlambo-Ncguka’s appointment may have been well received in most quarters, given that she is a hard worker and a performer in government, Mbeki’s decision is clouded by the Oilgate party funding scandal.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, as minerals and energy minister, exercised oversight over PetroSA, the state oil company alleged to have in effect subsidised the African National Congress’s election campaign last year. Her brother was also implicated by receiving a R50 000 payment from Oilgate company Imvume.

Given that Mbeki had raised the bar in the fight against corruption considerably when he axed Zuma even before any charges were brought against him, it seems puzzling that the president is now prepared to appoint a deputy who could be implicated in irregularities.

His choice of candidate sends mixed messages on corruption at a time when he needs to be consistent on the issue.

Political analyst Judith February said Mlambo-Ncguka’s appointment was not ideal and that the allegations around her needed to be dealt with speedily lest the institution of her new office be undermined.

“She will be under intense scrutiny and, as we have learnt with the arms deal scandal, if you don’t deal with issues up front, they come back to bite you later,” February said.

Analyst Aubrey Matshiqi also warned that Mbeki’s move could prove risky, considering Oilgate.

“Look at the way Mbeki dealt with Allan Boesak. His legal adviser, Mojanku Gumbi, cleared Boesak of any wrongdoing and he was appointed to the post in Geneva. Yet a few months after that, Boesak was charged and eventually ended up in jail,” Matshiqi said. Exposing the office of the deputy president to such an eventuality, however remote, was unwise, he said.

With acknowledgements to Karima Brown and the Business Day.