No overlap with new electricity ministry, Gwede Mantashe insists

Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe says Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's appointment as electricity minister will not overlap with his portfolio because the new minister will focus on Eskom, which falls outside his authority.

Mantashe was briefing reporters on the sidelines of the Africa Energy Indaba in Cape Town on Tuesday. In his cabinet reshuffle on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Ramokgopa would take the helm at the energy ministry announced in his state of the nation address (Sona) on February 9.

The announcement came amid severe load-shedding, which has shown no sign of easing since. It left observers mystified, while ministers contradicted each other on the terms of the role. 

Mantashe told the Sunday Times last month that the electricity minister was “only a project manager”. However, former minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said the appointee would have the last word on anything related to power.

On Tuesday Mantashe said Ramokgopa’s appointment was a critical step towards resolving the energy crisis. He also expressed confidence in the minister, who is the former head of the Presidency’s infrastructure investment office, calling him “a capable human being”.

“The appointment of this ministry will give us space to focus on paying attention to energy availability in particular. Number two, we will have to focus on emergency procurement of electricity ... not ruling out the Karpowerships that have been pushed from pillar to post in South Africa.

“Though they work in Ghana, they work in Gabon, they work in Cote d'Ivoire, they work in Brazil, they work in many other countries, South Africa, because of its holier than thou approach to things, has opted to reject the Karpowerships.”

Asked if there was an overlap of duties due to the electricity committee's establishment, Mantashe said his department remained intact after the reshuffle.

“Does it overlap with electricity? The problem with South African journalists [is once they] make up their minds, you can’t shake them. Eskom has been an energy matter, but it has never been reported to DMRE (department of mineral resources and energy). It has been reported to the DPE (department of public enterprises). There will be areas of complementarity rather than overlap.”

Mantashe maintained the power ships could be critical to resolving the energy crisis and at R1.17 per unit, would be less expensive than the cost of continued load-shedding, even if it rose.

“From where I am sitting, and I have never been electricity minister, the main reason we are in the energy crisis is because of low electricity availability.”

Responding to questions about green energy activists who protested during his keynote address at the indaba on Tuesday morning, Mantashe said he supported picketing, but urged protesters to take cognisance of “scientific information and try not to exaggerate things”.

He denied their charge that he was working to stop renewable energy.

“Deregulation of embedded generation cannot [block] renewables. It can only be seen as supporting renewables. We are allowing renewable plants to do what they want. Have you ever engaged people who come and seek an audience? If they think the best communication is to disrupt a conference, to me that is not the most effective mode of communication,” Mantashe said.

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