‘End the witchcraft’ and protect Mantashe from climate activists, Mbalula urges ANC members

From left: Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi, ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula and former Enoch Mgijima executive mayor Sisisi Tolashe at the ANC 101 Eastern Cape provincial celebrations in Mcbright on 22 January 2023. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

By Tembile Sgqolana

22 Jan 2023

The ANC secretary-general says Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe should not be persecuted for his insistence on using coal to solve South Africa’s electricity crisis, saying the ANC does not plan to ‘abandon coal’ for renewable sources.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has called on ANC members to protect Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe from the people that want to come after him when he defends the use of coal to generate power in South Africa.

Speaking at the Eastern Cape ANC 101 provincial celebrations at the McBright Sports Field in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality on Sunday, 22 January, Mbalula said all the ANC was calling for was a mixed approach to solving the energy crisis, not a total wipeout of coal for the benefit of renewables.

anc mbalula mantashe coal ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula told the ANC 101 Eastern Cape provincial celebrations that it had never been mentioned in the ANC that it should replace coal with solar and wind energy. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

Addressing thousands of ANC supporters, Mbalula said Mantashe was complaining as if he had no hope, saying there were people who were after the minister — some of whom were in the ANC.

“I asked him who these people are and he must report to me so that I can attend to them fast. Mantashe must complain because he will confuse you as it will look like the ANC is not led. When he sees the witchcraft, he must report to the officials so that we stop the witchcraft,” he said.

He said the ANC understood its mandate, which was to end rolling blackouts in South Africa.

“As the ANC, we agreed that we must resolve the issue of load shedding in the country as it is the problem for all of us. We are given the responsibility to sort that out and it was never mentioned that when we are fixing the electricity problem we must abandon coal for renewables,” Mbalula said.

He said it had never been mentioned in the ANC that it should replace coal with solar and wind energy.

‘Balance approach’

“We said we must implement a balanced approach and we must implement the ANC policy, which is … putting everything in the energy mix, even nuclear,” Mbalula said. “I don’t know these people who are chasing Mqwathi [Mantashe’s clan name], saying that Mqwathi is the cause of the problems. How is he causing the problem when he does not want coal to be abandoned?”

He said Mantashe was the minister the ANC should protect and not leave him alone for the crocodiles to chase because he was pronouncing the policy of the ANC.

“We will explain that within the end of this week. Mantashe must not complain as if he comes from the hole and has no hope. The organisation is here and it will protect him. Our duty is to end load shedding and that is what we are doing … and that is what the people of South Africa want.

anc mbalula From left: Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and former Enoch Mgijima executive mayor Sisisi Tolashe at the ANC 101 Eastern Cape provincial celebrations in Mcbright on 22 January 2023. (Photo: Tembile Sgqolana)

“The enemy is standing tall — complaining and protesting, some even want to come to Luthuli House to protest there. This is the first time a political party is marching [on] another political party,” he said.

The DA announced earlier this month that it would lead a march on the ANC headquarters to protest rolling blackouts and the proposed Eskom tariff increase of 18.65%.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Nersa approves 18.65% Eskom tariff hike for 2023/24 and 12.74% for the following financial year”

“They will not be able to march to Luthuli House. We will deal with them. Luthuli House is not a place to march to. Eskom is not at Luthuli House … Government is run at the Union Buildings not at Luthuli House… They are provoking us by putting a finger in our eyes,” said Mbalula.

He said on the day, the ANC would sing, “jikujonge ecaleni ikhona into ezakwenzeka” (“turn, look on the side something will happen”) and the DA would get what it wanted.

“We are asking them not to come to our offices. We don’t have electricity there,” he said.

Mbalula said the ANC had met Alan Winde, the premier of the Western Cape, on Friday, 20 January. Winde told the delegation that, all over the country, the people — including farmers, small businesses and businesses — were complaining that rolling blackouts were killing their businesses.

“We welcome the expertise that is in abundance in our country to be shared with Eskom to address the problem of load shedding in South Africa. What we will not tolerate is provocation by the DA, but we are tolerant of criticism,” he said.

“We call upon the DA to stop their opportunism and demonstrate where they are supposed to demonstrate… Now that André de Ruyter has declared that he is leaving, we must replace him as quickly as possible.”

Municipal troubles

Mbalula called on ANC provincial leaders to stop employing municipal managers who did not have the correct qualifications or even a matric certificate.

“That is what the enemy is using against us… You can’t have a councillor with no expertise and a manager who knows nothing. How will that council work?” asked Mbalula.

He said after its lekgotla, the ANC would ask municipalities about the skills of the people they had employed.

“We will also ask the provincial executive committees to remove those who don’t qualify and put the right people into the positions. We will also … ask the priorities of the municipalities and how they are using their budgets,” he said.

“The renewal is asking where are the ANC branches … when municipalities are in this mess.”

Mbalula stressed the importance of retaining the step-aside rule, saying that when some ANC members had fought it, they had lost. “They went as far as the Constitutional Court, but they were defeated… The ANC did not send you to steal money, it sent you to work for the people.”

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He called on all ANC deployees, mayors, councillors and MECs to be vigilant and attend to community issues.

He criticised the Enoch Mgijima municipality for the building of the R15-million Lesseyton Stadium, saying it was not a stadium, but a sports field.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “The stadium that isn’t: An Eastern Cape village’s R15m ‘sport facility’ in a rural community that has no water”

He acknowledged that the Eastern Cape had a problem with water, but said he had spoken to Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu about the matter and it would be sorted.

Mbalula called on MECs to attend to municipal problems and not rely on the national government to fix problems.

“There are people who think they have seats here. They know that they won’t be able to do anything because they are untouchables… If you don’t work, we will remove you. You must not cry when the axe has arrived,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the SACP, Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi said corruption was killing the ANC. “We see money changing hands in buying votes and that is turning into a commodity. Those who are dirty in the ANC must go.”

Eastern Cape premier Lubabalo Mabuyane said no funding had been received after floods and storms had led to the province being declared a disaster.

“We saw disaster funds being given to the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. We want the disaster money so that we can fix the roads and bridges that were ruined by the floods,” he said. DM/OBP

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‘Balance approach’

Municipal troubles