Gwede Mantashe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gwede Mantashe
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Mantashe in November 2022
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| Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 3 July 2024 |
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| President | Cyril Ramaphosa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Judith Nemadzinga-Tshabalala | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Himself (for Mineral Resources and Energy) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th Secretary-General of the African National Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 18 December 2007 – 18 December 2017 |
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| President | Jacob Zuma | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Kgalema Motlanthe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ace Magashule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the National Assembly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 22 May 2019 |
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| Constituency | National list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National Chairperson of the African National Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 18 December 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Baleka Mbete | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Samson Gwede Mantashe
21 June 1955 Lower Cala, South Africa |
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| Political party | African National Congress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations |
South African Communist Party (Tripartite Alliance) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Nolwandle Mantashe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Tozama Mantashe (sister) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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Samson Gwede Mantashe (born 21 June 1955) is a well-known South African politician. He used to be a leader in trade unions. Currently, he serves as the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. This means he is in charge of South Africa's mining and energy resources.
Mantashe has been involved in managing mineral resources since February 2018. He was first the Minister of Mineral Resources. Then, from May 2019 to June 2024, he was the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. Since July 2024, his role has focused on mineral and petroleum resources. He is also the national chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC), which is South Africa's main political party.
He grew up in the Eastern Cape province. Mantashe became important in politics through the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). He started working at a coal mine and quickly moved up in the union. He became a full-time organiser in 1988. Later, he was the assistant general secretary from 1994 to 1998. He then became the general secretary from 1998 to 2006. During this time, he was also a key member of the South African Communist Party (SACP).
After leaving his union job in 2006, Mantashe worked briefly at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. In December 2007, he was chosen as the secretary-general of the ANC. This was a full-time job he held for ten years. He was re-elected in December 2012. He also served as the national chairperson of the SACP from 2007 to 2012.
After two terms as secretary-general, Mantashe was elected as the ANC national chairperson in December 2017. President Cyril Ramaphosa then appointed him to his cabinet. His job as minister has often involved dealing with South Africa's ongoing energy crisis. He was re-elected as ANC national chairperson in December 2022. He is still a member of the SACP Central Committee.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gwede Mantashe was born on 21 June 1955. His birthplace was Lower Cala, a village in the Transkei region of what was then the Cape Province. He went to Matanzima High School in Cala. Even as a student, he was known for being outspoken. He became active in politics when he was young, joining the Student Christian Movement.
He went to university after apartheid ended. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1997 and an Honours degree in 2002 from the University of South Africa. He also has a Master's degree in industrial sociology from the University of the Witwatersrand (2008). In 2021, he completed a Master of Business Administration from the Management College of Southern Africa.
Early Union Work
Mantashe worked in the mining industry for 13 years, starting in 1975. He began as a recreation officer at a gold mine. From 1975 to 1982, he was a welfare officer at Prieska Copper Mines. In 1982, he moved to the Matla Colliery. There, he helped start the Witbank branch of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). This union was new and led by Cyril Ramaphosa.
He was the chairperson of the Witbank branch from 1982 to 1984. In 1985, he became the regional secretary. In 1988, he started working full-time for the NUM as a national organiser. He was promoted to regional coordinator in 1993.
In 1994, he was elected as assistant general secretary, working with Kgalema Motlanthe. During this time, he also served as a local councillor in Ekurhuleni from 1994 to 1999. In 1995, he joined the board of directors of Samancor, a chrome company. This was unusual for a union leader then. Mantashe said it showed a new way for workers to influence company decisions.
Leading the NUM: 1998–2006
After four years as assistant general secretary, Mantashe became the general secretary of the NUM in 1998. He took over from Kgalema Motlanthe, who had become the secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC).
During Mantashe's eight years as leader, the NUM became very organised and disciplined. He made it a powerful union. Early in his time, Joseph Mathunjwa left the NUM and started a new union called the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union.
Working with Other Parties
The NUM was the biggest union in the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). Cosatu was linked to the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC through the Tripartite Alliance. Mantashe had been a member of the SACP Central Committee since 1995. Some critics said that under his leadership, the NUM became too close to the SACP. He was also a member of the ANC.
Stepping Down from NUM
Mantashe left his leadership role at the NUM in May 2006. Frans Baleni, who was seen as his close associate, took over from him. After that, Mantashe worked for two years at the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
In July 2007, a year after leaving the NUM, Mantashe was elected as the national chairperson of the SACP. He worked with general secretary Blade Nzimande. Within six weeks, he was also a top candidate for a higher position in the ANC.
ANC Secretary-General: 2007–2017
In December 2007, at the ANC's 52nd National Conference in Polokwane, Mantashe was elected as the ANC secretary-general. He took over from Kgalema Motlanthe, who had also been his predecessor at the NUM. Mantashe was part of the group of candidates supporting Jacob Zuma, who became the new president.
One of his first jobs was to manage the disagreements after the conference. In September 2008, Mantashe announced that the ANC had decided to remove President Thabo Mbeki from office. When some members left the ANC to form a new party, the Congress of the People (COPE), Mantashe helped the ANC win back support. Many people believe his leadership helped prevent a bigger split in the ANC.
Mantashe was re-elected for a second term at the 53rd National Conference in Mangaung in December 2012. He won by a large margin against Fikile Mbalula.
SACP Leadership
While serving as ANC secretary-general, Mantashe also completed his five-year term as SACP national chairperson. Sometimes, having both roles caused problems. In December 2009, some people wanted Mantashe to choose between the two jobs.
At the SACP congress in July 2012, Mantashe decided not to run for re-election as chairperson. He explained that it was too difficult to be an official in both parties. He said it made him an "absentee chairperson" in the SACP. However, he was grateful for the experience. Senzeni Zokwana took over as SACP chairperson. Mantashe was still elected as an ordinary member of the SACP Central Committee.
Supporting Jacob Zuma
As secretary-general, Mantashe worked full-time at the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg. He was seen as very powerful, especially during his second term. He was known for calling journalists to complain about their stories.
During President Zuma's time, there were many accusations of corruption. Mantashe's critics said he played a key role in protecting Zuma from being held accountable. For example, in 2013, after a controversial landing at Waterkloof Air Base involving the Gupta family, Mantashe said Zuma's relationship with the family was not the ANC's business.
He also strongly opposed attempts by opposition parties to remove Zuma through votes of no confidence in Parliament. In 2017, he warned that ANC members of Parliament who voted against Zuma could face punishment. He argued that allowing such votes would cause serious division in the party and the country. Mantashe later told the Zondo Commission that party discipline was important for the stability of the ANC and the government.
However, Mantashe was more open to Zuma being removed by the ANC itself. By mid-2017, he openly said that corruption was "a reality." He also welcomed the "Gupta leaks," which were documents revealing more about the corruption.
Mantashe later said that he and other ANC leaders became worried about the Gupta family's influence after the 2013 Waterkloof landing. Tensions became clear after Zuma controversially replaced Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene in December 2015. Mantashe was reportedly involved in forcing Zuma to reverse this decision. When the new Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, faced fraud charges, Mantashe supported Gordhan.
Gordhan was later fired in March 2017. Mantashe confirmed he disagreed with Zuma's decision. However, he later said the ANC had decided to accept Zuma's choice. This led to the term "Mantash" being used to describe such changes in stance. When Zuma fired Blade Nzimande from the cabinet in October 2017, Mantashe was again publicly critical. He said the party was not consulted and warned that frequent changes could make the government unstable. By the end of 2017, journalists believed Mantashe's relationship with Zuma had worsened.
Nasrec Conference and Aftermath
At the ANC's 54th National Conference in December 2017, Mantashe did not run for secretary-general again. Instead, he was elected as the ANC's national chairperson. He won against Nathi Mthethwa. Before the election, Mantashe was seen as supporting Cyril Ramaphosa, who became the new president. Mantashe had publicly supported Ramaphosa's bid for president.
After the conference, Ramaphosa's supporters worked to remove Zuma from the Presidency of South Africa. Mantashe said that if Zuma resisted resigning, the ANC would have no choice but to let him face a no-confidence vote in Parliament.
Minister of Mineral Resources: 2018–Present
After Ramaphosa became President of South Africa in February 2018, he appointed Mantashe to his cabinet on 26 February. Mantashe replaced Mosebenzi Zwane as Minister of Mineral Resources. His appointment was welcomed by mining and business groups. He was initially appointed from outside Parliament but was elected to the National Assembly in the May 2019 general election.
After the 2019 election, Ramaphosa combined some ministries. Mantashe then became the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. In February 2023, due to the worsening electricity crisis, Ramaphosa appointed Kgosientsho Ramokgopa as a new Minister in the Presidency for Electricity. On 30 June 2024, after the 2024 general election, this change became permanent. Ramokgopa was appointed Minister of Electricity and Energy. Mantashe's role was then limited to Mineral and Petroleum Resources. Both were sworn in on 3 July 2024.
Acting Police Minister
On 13 July 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Mantashe to act as the Police Minister. This happened after the previous minister was linked to corruption allegations.
Energy Transition in South Africa
Mantashe became Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy during a long-standing energy crisis in the country. This crisis was caused by not having enough electricity. One of his first tasks was to update the country's energy plan. He said his ministry would look at all energy sources to solve the crisis.
However, the media soon called him "Old King Coal." This was because he strongly supported using coal for South Africa's energy. He even said that coal would "outlive many of us." He also accepted being called a "coal fundamentalist."
Mantashe connected his support for coal to the idea of a "just energy transition." This means changing how energy is produced in a way that is fair to people and good for the environment. He believed there was agreement on reducing carbon emissions to fight climate change. However, he questioned if this meant completely moving away from coal to renewable energy sources. He argued that South Africa has a lot of coal. He also said the coal industry helps the South African economy and creates jobs. He believed closing coal power plants too quickly would harm mining communities and worsen the energy shortage. For these reasons, Mantashe saw coal as an important part of a fair energy transition.
Critics said Mantashe slowed down the approval of new energy projects. This, they argued, delayed the energy transition and solving the electricity crisis. Some compared him to King Canute, trying to stop the tides.
He was also unpopular with environmental activists. This was because he supported Shell's right to explore for gas off the Wild Coast. He also suggested using powerships at major ports. In December 2021, he accused opponents of the Shell project of a new type of "apartheid and colonialism" disguised as environmental protection. He also criticised André de Ruyter, the head of the power company Eskom. De Ruyter resigned in December 2022 after Mantashe claimed Eskom was trying to cause problems for the state.
Because of these issues, President Ramaphosa announced a new Minister in the Presidency for Electricity in February 2023. This new role was given to Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. In May 2023, Ramaphosa gave Ramokgopa the job of finding new ways to generate electricity, which used to be Mantashe's department's job. In June, Mantashe did not attend a high-level meeting about a large green energy agreement. This was seen by some as a challenge to Ramaphosa's authority.
Zondo Commission Findings
On 1 March 2022, the Zondo Commission, which investigated corruption, suggested that Mantashe should be investigated for criminal corruption. This was because a former director of a company called Bosasa had arranged for security systems to be installed for free at Mantashe's three homes in 2013. At the time, Mantashe was the ANC secretary-general. Mantashe confirmed the free installations but denied any wrongdoing. The commission concluded that Bosasa had often bribed politicians. In Mantashe's case, it found "reasonable suspicion" that he received the free upgrades knowing they were meant to influence him.
The day after the report was published, Mantashe said he would not step down unless there was an investigation and a case against him. He continued to deny doing anything wrong.
ANC Chairmanship
Mantashe was re-elected to the SACP Central Committee in July 2022. In December 2022, the ANC's 55th National Conference re-elected him for another five-year term as ANC national chairperson. He won a close race against Stan Mathabatha and David Masondo. The group supporting President Ramaphosa also supported Mantashe's re-election.
The media has called Mantashe a key member of the "Chris Hani cabal" in the ANC. This group is close to Ramaphosa and helped defend him during difficult times. Some observers also believe Mantashe might have his own ambitions to become president.
Mantashe vs. Trump
In early February 2025, former US President Donald Trump stated he would cut aid to South Africa. This was due to his concerns about white Afrikaaners and South Africa's land expropriation policy. Trump claimed South Africa was "confiscating land and treating certain classes of people very badly." He warned that the US would "cut off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed." The aid amounted to $440 million.
Mantashe responded by saying he could stop the export of minerals to the US. He made this statement at the 31st Investing in African Mining conference. At the same conference, a US official spoke about plans to finance African mineral resources. A recent report showed that the US relies 100% on imported minerals for 12 important materials, including graphite, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths. South Africa's main exports to the US include platinum, iron, and manganese. Mantashe's suggestion to other African nations could affect the US's mineral strategy. An expert also noted that the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) could be removed from South Africa. This would mean South Africa would no longer benefit from duty-free trade with the US. In 2023, South Africa exported $2.7 billion worth of goods to the US under AGOA.
Personal Life
Gwede Mantashe is married to Nolwandle Mantashe, who works as a nurse. They have four adult children, two sons and two daughters. In 2014, he said that he tells his children there is no special qualification called "Mantashe." He advises them to study hard and be themselves to succeed in life.
His younger sister, Tozama Mantashe, who was also a politician, passed away in January 2021 due to complications from COVID-19.
See also
- Energy in South Africa
- Electricity sector in South Africa
- History of the African National Congress
