Gwede Samson Mantashe

While Godongwana is the government's chief protagonist of budget cuts he finds himself on the opposite side of the fiscal fence from his former trade union colleague the powerful Mineral and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe...

In February at the annual Mining Indaba conference Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe told Africa Confidential that any attempt to expedite the phasing out of coal would decimate communities in Mpumalanga where most of the mines are...

Ramaphosa indicated he was ready to quit but senior party officials including controversial ANC chair Gwede Mantashe also targeted by Zondo for further investigation persuaded the president to stay on to prevent heavier losses for the party at next year's election...

We hear he now faces push-back from figures such as Pravin Gordhan and the powerful Gwede Mantashe who are protecting their departments (AC Vol 64 No 5 Energy plan riles ANC factions and vested interests)...

Yet Ramaphosa's creation of the electricity minister role has sidelined Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe a political ally who persuaded the president not to resign last year but has repeatedly delayed attempts to accelerate renewable power projects under the Just Energy Transition (JET – AC Vol 63 No 16 Some light at last)...

Ramaphosa's close allies Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan held on to their portfolios as did Police Minister Bheki Cele despite his serial failures to control the wave of organised crime that is sweeping the country undermining the economy and breaking up infrastructure...

According to an ANC insider De Ruyter's resignation in December was triggered by Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe accusing him of trying to overthrow the state by failing to maintain and upgrade old power stations...

It includes Gwede Mantashe Minister of Minerals and Energy and ANC chairman and one of the most powerful members of Ramaphosa's cabinet who is also seen as the man who delivered the President's second term; Mondli Gungubele Minister in the Presidency; and Enoch Godongwana Finance Minister...

Ramaphosa appeared deliberately vague about how the electricity minister will work with Gordhan or energy and mines minister Gwede Mantashe the government's leading defender of the coal industry and the mineworkers' union...

At the centre of the debate is the man widely seen as the most powerful member of the government ANC chairman and minerals minister Gwede Mantashe...