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...

Gwede Mantashe the powerful Energy Minister and a long-time Secretary-General of the party is also said to be a Mashatile sceptic...

Ramaphosa is politically obligated to Gwede Mantashe who narrowly retained his position as ANC chair at the party's elective conference in December...

The biggest obstacle to Ramaphosa's programme now is ANC chair and Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe who is representative of ANC stalwarts and black business owners who are determined to slow the phasing out of coal and want quick-fix and patronage-rich solutions to the energy crisis analysts say...

However his supporters including Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele and ANC chair and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe shut down any criticism at last week's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Johannesburg...