Is De Beers South African boss the man for the job?

(From Mineweb)

(Mineweb.com) -- When Anglo American CE Tony Trahar visited South African president Thabo Mbeki this Tuesday, he had more on his mind than patching up their earlier differences.

Trahar took along with him his chairman Mark Moody-Stuart and Lazarus Zim, the head of Anglo's South African operations. The visit, officially at any rate, was to bring Mbeki up to speed on Anglo's "transformation" plans and the mining group's latest results.

When last did anyone hear of a CE dropping in on a state president for a cosy chat about the latest financials?

No, the visit focused on Anglo's plans, in South African English, to "transform". How is Anglo going to ensure that black South Africans, the "previously disadvantaged", get a fair crack of the whip at the group's South African operations. And, if that seems likely to involve handing over assets at bargain-basement prices or less, how does Mbeki persuade London-listed Anglo that South Africa is to be preferred as an …