Gwede Mantashe

Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician serving as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, a portfolio he has held since 2018 when the two departments were merged. He is a South African national and a senior member of the African National Congress (ANC), having previously served as the party's secretary-general from 2007 to 2017 and as national chairperson from 2017. Mantashe's career path includes a background in mining: he worked as a mineworker and later as a trade union official, rising to become general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1998 to 2006. His influence spans the energy and mining sectors, where he has been a vocal advocate for the development of South Africa's coal, oil and gas resources, as well as nuclear energy, often emphasising energy security and economic growth. He has been a central figure in policy debates around the country's energy transition, the Integrated Resource Plan, and the licensing of new mining and petroleum exploration projects. Mantashe recurs in coverage of South Africa's energy crisis, mining regulation, and the balance between fossil fuel development and renewable energy commitments. His tenure has seen ongoing controversy over the pace of renewable energy adoption, the role of independent power producers, and the future of state-owned enterprises in the energy sector. Before entering full-time politics, his union leadership during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s established him as a key figure in the labour movement and the broader struggle against apartheid.