Gwede Mantashe

Gwede Mantashe
US Embassy South Africa · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	Gwede Mantashe
Birth date	21 June 1955
Birth place	Witbank, Transvaal Province
Nationality	South African
Occupation	Politician, trade unionist
Party	African National Congress
Offices	Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (2019–)

Gwede Mantashe Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician and former trade unionist who has held senior positions in the African National Congress, served as Secretary General of the African National Congress and as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy in the Cabinet of South Africa. He rose through the ranks of the National Union of Mineworkers during the late Apartheid era and transitioned into senior roles within the ANC after 1994. His career has intersected with prominent figures and institutions such as Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa, and bodies including the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African Communist Party, and the Parliament of South Africa.

Early life and education

Born in Witbank in the former Transvaal Province, Mantashe completed his early schooling during the late Apartheid period in South Africa and trained initially as a mine overseer at technical colleges tied to the South African mining industry. He worked at collieries connected to companies such as Anglo American plc, Gencor, and local mining houses before becoming active in the National Union of Mineworkers. He later undertook adult education programs and political study aligned with institutions like the South African Communist Party and received cadreship training influenced by networks connected to the African National Congress and regional structures in Mpumalanga.

Trade union career

Mantashe rose through the NUM amid a period of intense labour mobilisation, negotiating with employers including Anglo American plc, Exxaro Resources, and state-owned entities such as Eskom. He worked alongside NUM leaders and figures from the Congress of South African Trade Unions and competed within labour politics that involved unions like the United Mineworkers and alliances with the South African Communist Party. His union activity brought him into contact with national politicians from the ANC and provincial activists in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, shaping his transition from unionist to party official in the post‑Apartheid negotiations and reconstruction era.

Political career

After the transition to majority rule, Mantashe moved into the African National Congress's organisational apparatus, holding provincial and national posts and participating in policy forums alongside leaders such as Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. He served as Secretary General of the African National Congress and sat in the National Assembly of South Africa, engaging with parliamentary committees that interfaced with ministries led by figures like Pravin Gordhan, Nhlanhla Nene, and Minister of Public Enterprises. His political trajectory intersected with state-owned enterprises including Eskom, South African Airways, and the Central Energy Fund as he navigated factional contests involving personalities such as Ace Magashule, Kgalema Motlanthe, and Naledi Pandor.

Tenure as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

Appointed Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy in the cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa, Mantashe has overseen policy relating to South Africa’s mineral sector and the national electricity system, engaging directly with stakeholders including Eskom, Sasol, Anglo American plc, and mining houses operating in regions like the Witbank and Mpumalanga coalfields. His portfolio required coordination with multilateral actors and frameworks such as the International Energy Agency and regional bodies like the Southern African Development Community. He has advanced positions on issues including coal-fired generation, independent power procurement, and interactions with investors such as Glencore and Rio Tinto, while addressing tensions involving activists from environmental NGOs and labour representatives from the NUM.

Leadership in the African National Congress

Within the African National Congress, Mantashe has been a prominent figure in national conferences and internal elections, campaigning for organisational positions and playing a lead role in alliances with the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions. His leadership style and strategic decisions influenced the selection of party leadership including support dynamics around Jacob Zuma and later Cyril Ramaphosa, and he engaged in policy debates on economic transformation, mineral beneficiation, and state restructuring that involved stakeholders like Business Leadership South Africa and provincial ANC structures in Mpumalanga and Gauteng.

Controversies and criticisms

Mantashe’s career has attracted scrutiny over positions on energy policy, centralised procurement, and relationships with mining companies and labour organisations, prompting criticism from environmental groups such as Greenpeace and opposition parties including the Democratic Alliance (South Africa) and the Economic Freedom Fighters. His tenure has been debated in contexts of national crises involving Eskom load-shedding, investigations by bodies like the Public Protector (South Africa) and parliamentary oversight committees, and media scrutiny from outlets such as the Mail & Guardian, News24, and the Sunday Times (South Africa). Allegations and disputes have involved interactions with individuals implicated in state capture inquiries including figures from corporate and political networks linked to the State Capture era.

Personal life and legacy

Mantashe’s personal life includes ties to regional communities in Mpumalanga and relationships with trade union and ANC cadres from the liberation era; his public legacy is debated across political, labour, business, and environmental constituencies. His influence is visible in ongoing discussions about South Africa’s mineral policy, energy transition, and the future of state-owned enterprises, shaping debates that involve institutions such as Parliament of South Africa, the NUM, and regional economic forums. He remains a significant and controversial figure in contemporary South African politics.

Category:South African politicians Category:1955 births Category:Living people