Welcome to the tumble drier, Mr Mantashe, it's long overdue

It appears the only response Gwede Mantashe has to the pressure he is experiencing is to try to distract from the real problem, which is the technical issue that Eskom is not able to provide enough electricity, and government policy’s failure to allow the private sector to make up the shortfall in time. This political dispute is likely to get even more heated, and no amount of the ANC Chair’s spinning will be able to tamp it down.

On Saturday, News24 quoted Mantashe telling delegates at the Free State ANC’s conference: 

“...within the ANC there is a new debate that says energy and mining must be split. They will split energy from my department [of mineral resources and energy] then say they are taking Eskom to energy in terms of the resolution from the conference of the ANC”.

This appeared to be bolstered by reporting in City Press that those close to President Cyril Ramaphosa were planning to move him away from Energy, with one source quoted as saying his reign at the department has been “disastrous”.

Coming so soon after the ANC’s conference decision that SOEs be moved to their line departments (and thus Eskom would move to Energy) this is the first sign that Mantashe may not get control over Eskom at all.

This is likely to disappoint him.

Despite not having political authority over Eskom, Mantashe has made many comments about Eskom and rolling blackouts in the past. These included his famous quote that Stage 6 was “akin to agitating for the overthrow of the state” and appears to have “inspired” the resignation of Eskom CEO André de Ruyter.

And yet, while he has made those attacks on Eskom, he has also conveniently used the fact that he does not have direct control over Eskom to turn down interview requests. At the same time, in other interviews he has granted he has continued to lambast the beleaguered giant.

Professor Anton Eberhard has said that Mantashe told him directly he would blame current Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan when rolling blackouts happened, which points to a lack of care about… well, anything other than his own personal interests.

Up until now, it appears Mantashe has had the luxury of deciding who should be blamed for rolling blackouts, and when. Despite that, over the last few weeks, it appears that for the middle classes and the commentariat, he is already being directly blamed, as ordinary people have become wearingly familiar with the technicalities of energy policy.

People around the country will now also be familiar with solar panels on the roofs of homes and businesses, the most simple demonstration that renewable energy can work really well.

If Mantashe does now take over Energy and Eskom, there will simply be nowhere for him to hide, and the sense that it was he who is responsible for our plight will continue to grow.

There are also clear signs that Mantashe does not have the answers to the problem of rolling blackouts, and when confronted on it, he attempts to distract from the issue.

For example, he has consistently claimed that he is the victim of an attack by “liberals” over energy policy. On Saturday, he was quoted as saying the person who his opponents wanted to take over from him at Energy would be a “greenie” who would be pro-renewable energy.

The word “liberal” can mean different things in different places. In the US it can be used by those on the Right as a way of describing those on the Left. But in our politics, it is normally used by those who believe themselves to be on the Left to describe those who they believe are on the Right. (Confusing, right?)

Here, it is not entirely clear why Mantashe has chosen this phrase, or used it so consistently in recent days. That said, there is certainly an element of trying to brand those attacking him, to ascribe a political motive or ideology to their view.