Born in Vrede, South Africa, Zwane got involved in political career in the early 1980s as a member of the Thembelihle Youth Congress. He later joined the Thembelihle African National Congress branch. Zwane also served in the regional executive committee of the Frankfort region in the early 1990s. He became the first secretary of the Frankfort region that became the Thabo Mofutsunyana region, preceding the amalgamation of local councils. Mosebenzi Zwane became a regional executive committee member of the Thabo Mofutsunyana region and subsequently its chairperson. Zwane has been the regional chairperson of the Thabo Mofutsunyana ANC region since 2006. Zwane was a Member of Free State Legislature since 21 May 2014. He has previously served as MEC in the Portfolio of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs in the Free Stateprovincial government. In 2015 Zwane was appointed by President Jacob Zuma to succeed Ngoako Ramathlodi as Minister of Mineral Resources. As for his Academic cursus, Mr Mosebenzi attained his secondary teacher's diploma from the South African Teachers College in Pretoria. He also holds a certificate in Executive Leadership Municipal Development from the University of Pretoria.
Allegations of involvement in State Capture
In August 2017, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse laid charges of treason, corruption, extortion, fraud and theft against Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane in light of his unofficial, unethical and illegal relationship with the Gupta Family. Zwane‚ charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, was among the first of the known Gupta Family allies to have criminal charges laid against him. Zwane is accused of allowing the Gupta family to loot nearly R2-billion from South Africa's state coffers via the Vrede Dairy Project and two mine rehabilitation funds. Zwane is also accused of abusing his position of power as minister to the benefit of the Gupta family and their associates in the landing of their wedding guests at Air Force Base Waterkloof in April 2013. The Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges include racketeering, money laundering, assisting another to benefit from the proceeds of unlawful activities, and acquiring, possessing or using the proceeds of unlawful activities in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act ; and submitting false, or untrue, tax returns in terms of the Tax Administration Act against Zwane Zwane, Atul Gupta, Ajay Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and their business associates Ronica Ragavan and Kamal Vasram. In January 2018, the Hawks unit of South Africa's Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation seized R220 million that the Free State Department of Agriculture under Zwane had paid to the Gupta family in connection with the Vrede Dairy Project, calling it a "scheme designed to defraud and steal monies" from the Free State Department of Agriculture. The UK NGO Shadow World Investigations claimed that Mosebenzi Zwane, as MEC for agriculture in the Free State at the time, allegedly received benefits worth R500 000 from Gupta companies a month after a 99-year lease was signed with the Guptas for the Estina farm. The NGO stated it was prepared to testify at the ongoing Zondo Commission.
