‘Self-professed tiger with no claws’: DA’s Solly Malatsi takes aim at ‘glorified ice boy’ Gwede Mantashe

DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi has taken aim at mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe, calling him a “glorified ice boy” after the introduction of the minister of electricity.

During the state of the nation address debate this week Malatsi said Mantashe was “useless” and this was why President Cyril Ramaphosa was appointing a minister of electricity. 

“Minister of energy, can you imagine being so useless that they have to appoint someone to do your job yet they must send you to the stage to defend it? 

“The so-called self-professed tiger has no claws and has been relegated to a glorified ice boy at the ministry of energy with the introduction of the minister of electricity.”

Malatsi slammed police minister Bheki Cele for “gossiping about the consensual mental affairs of adults”, and also took aim at eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, saying he cares more about his “non-existent” amapiano career than service delivery.

Kaunda released an amapiano song last year called Mntomusha and performed it at Durban’s Coastlands Hotel in front of international delegates in September.

Last week Ramaphosa announced he will appoint a minister to deal specifically with the electricity crisis. The decision effectively moves embattled Eskom to his office.

In parliament he defended the appointment, saying the resolution of the energy crisis requires effective co-ordination across several departments and public entities. 

“Some have suggested the appointment will cause confusion and fragmentation, and might also result in turf wars among the ministers who deal with energy and Eskom. That is not the case,” Ramaphosa said.

“The minister of electricity will be focused day in and day out only on addressing the load-shedding crisis working together with the management of Eskom and the board. The minister of mineral resources and energy deals with matters of energy policy as well as mineral resources.

“The minister of public enterprises is executing the recommendations of the presidential review commission and state-owned enterprises council in relation to the ownership and governance of state-owned enterprises. The minister of public enterprises will therefore continue to work on the restructuring of Eskom and other state-owned enterprises until then.”

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