Mantashe must go: DA calls for minister to be axed over green energy signing snub

The DA has called for the immediate dismissal of energy minister Gwede Mantashe after his snubbing of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s green energy signing. 

Mantashe skipped a top-level meeting hosted by Ramaphosa with European leaders to launch a European-funded green-energy initiative last week. 

Instead of joining Ramaphosa to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Danish and Dutch prime ministers, Mantashe attended a Cosatu event in Boksburg.

Mantashe told the Sunday Times he did not sign the MOU because he doesn’t “sign agreements I have not seen”.

The DA said Mantashe should be axed for his “continuous defiance of Ramaphosa and his failure to acknowledge his responsibility in energy planning and international co-operation”. 

“It has become abundantly clear that Mantashe’s actions and ideologies are hindering the much-needed rapid and just energy transition in our country,” said the party.

The DA said Mantashe’s decision was “deeply concerning”.

“This kind of blatant disregard for the president’s efforts to foster international co-operation is unacceptable. Mantashe’s excuse for not signing the MOU, claiming that he does not sign agreements he has not seen, is both evasive and irresponsible,” it said.

“As a minister, it is his duty to familiarise himself with relevant documents and actively engage in discussions related to important initiatives. By refusing to sign the agreement and failing to attend the event, he demonstrated a lack of commitment to the responsibilities entrusted to him.”

The DA said Mantashe’s personal interests and ideological biases are hindering the progress of the energy sector and impeding the necessary steps towards a greener future.

“In a time of crisis, when our nation faces numerous challenges related to energy security, climate change, and socioeconomic development, we cannot afford a recalcitrant and ideologically compromised minister at the helm of the energy portfolio,” said the party. 

“We need a leader who is proactive, committed, and willing to work collaboratively with international partners to address these pressing issues.

“We urge President Cyril Ramaphosa to take decisive action and remove minister Gwede Mantashe from his position. Only with a capable and visionary leader in the energy sector can we overcome the hurdles obstructing our path towards a rapid and just energy transition that benefits all South Africans. Mantashe must go”.

Mantashe told the Sunday Times the document, while putting his department at the centre of the agreement, was prepared without his input. He claimed the agreement was drafted “somewhere” without his say-so and only afterwards was he called and asked to sign it.

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