The Democratic Alliance (DA) may call him the “King of Coal”‚ but the Presidency on Wednesday declared: “Deputy President (Cyril) Ramaphosa holds no mining interests.” The DA’s Pieter van Dalen on Tuesday stoked the embers of a heated parliamentary debate on energy when he questioned the role of Ramaphosa in leading the Eskom “War Room”.He used the “King of Coal” moniker to reference Ramaphosa’s connection to companies that have made money from selling coal to electricity-hungry South Africa."Shanduka has over the years become the biggest owner of coal mines. Shanduka was the frontrunner in terms of coal production‚ producing 50% of the Junior Mining Sector producer market share. Isn’t it strange that deputy president Ramaphosa is now leading the ‘War Room on Energy’?” asked Van Dalen."We want the special pricing agreements for coal between Shanduka/Glencore and Eskom to be open as the price increases form a large part of the crises we face today‚" added Van Dalen‚ to an uproar from African National Congress (ANC) MPs.On Wednesday‚ the Presidency said it had “noted” Van Dalen’s comments‚ and pointed out that “Ramaphosa was appointed by Cabinet to lead an inter-ministerial committee to address electricity challenges facing the country”. His “work in the Eskom War Room is guided by none other than Cabinet’s five-point plan”‚ the Presidency said. “The Office of Deputy President reiterates that deputy president Ramaphosa has divested his financial interests in the Shanduka Group following his assumption of office.“Consequently‚ Deputy President Ramaphosa holds no mining interests.”..