Gwede Mantashe: Eskom must optimise power generation from existing capacity

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, says Eskom must focus on power station maintenance to increase power generation from its existing capacity.

“The most urgent test that is facing us is to work with Eskom to optimize generation from existing capacity,” he said.

“In Eskom, we have 48,000 megawatts connected to the grid but Eskom at best can give us 26,000 megawatts and there are 22,000 megawatts that are idling but connected.”

Mantashe also says he hopes IPPs will help provide around 12,000 megawatts of added power to the national grid.

ANC’s Gwede Mantashe hits back at critics who say he’s too old for politics

With activists calling for his head in government and his own comrades saying he is too old to remain at the helm, the African National Congress (ANC)’s Gwede Mantashe will have to rely on a charm offensive if he wants to be re-elected as national chair of the party this month.

While Mantashe insists he is not ready to retire from political life, some in the ANC say it’s time for a change of guard.

The 67-year-old politician is also the minerals and energy minister.

He is one of three leaders who’ve made it onto the ballot ahead of the ANC’s 55th national conference but is trailing behind Limpopo’s Stan Mathabatha.

Though Mantashe is ahead of David Masondo, the third contender, some argue the much younger leader could be a necessary departure from the tradition of an elder being elected as chairperson.

Mantashe barely had any competition in 2017, when Nasrec 1 took place but he returns to the venue with a strong pushback for him to retire.

He’s dismissed such arguments, hitting back at those who say his time is up.

“Those people celebrated the return of Lulu da Silva as president of Brazil but when it is here, they begin to talk about age even where age is irrelevant.”

Mantashe is a mining man, with a communist background, who’s found it relatively easy to engage with different communities over the years.

He’s served as an official in the ANC since 2007, where he was elected secretary-general at the controversial Polokwane conference.

He was re-elected in 2012 and five years later he was back as an official but in a different capacity.

This time around Mantashe’s facing a hurdle called Stan Mathabatha, who’s got over 1,400 nominations.

Analyst Sandile Swana said that Mantashe had to go to the ground if he wanted to clinch support away from Mathabatha.

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“So it’s a problem for Gwede. To correct these numbers, he needs to be supported by somebody who has a lot of support and those people are Paul Mashatile and Nomvula Mokonyane.”

The ANC will elect new leaders at its national conference which takes place between 16 and 20 December.

Move to renewable energy won’t undermine SA’s energy security, says Gwede Mantashe

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has stressed that South Africa’s move to renewables will not undermine the country’s energy security.

Mantashe addressed delegates at the 11th annual wind energy conference – Windaba – which opened at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday morning.

The two-day conference is being hosted by the South African Wind Energy Association and supported by the Global Wind Energy Council.

This year’s gathering is taking place under the banner “wind power spearheading the energy transition for accelerated growth”.

Mantashe said South Africa must pursue mixed energy technologies to address energy poverty and ensure the security of energy supply.

“The solution lies in the sustained development of our indigenous energy resources. In line with our nationally determined contribution and the integrated resource plan, we intend to move from high carbon emissions to low carbon emissions. However, we intend to do this in a manner that does not undermine our energy security, economic growth plans, and sustainable local communities.

Mantashe has highlighted that wind energy is one of the cheapest clean energy sources for new electricity.

“Wind energy projects have contributed electricity generation during morning and evening peak demand here in South Africa. As of the end of March, 32 wind projects have reached commercial operation, delivering over 3,000 megawatts. That is the contribution of wind energy.”

Gwede Mantashe prevented from addressing Cosatu Congress

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe has been prevented from addressing COSATU members at its 14th congress in Midrand.

They say they’re tired of empty promises.

Mantashe reacted to his public snub saying delegates weren’t rejecting the ANC.

Mantashe said the workers are only making a statement.

He said, “rejection is actually raising your issue with the ANC, if they were rejecting the ANC they would in fact not invite us here, we were invited here, that is not rejection.”

“If they want disrupt the speed of the ANC, that’s a different matter, it’s a statement they are making and we must listen to that statement.”

Gwede Mantashe: SA to ramp up energy supply at Eskom with IPPs

As the country continues to struggle under continued power cuts, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said they were ramping up the energy supply at Eskom to cushion the country from more severe power cuts.

Mantashe has signed three preferred bidders of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) under the fifth bid window of the renewable energy procurement programme.

The minister said the state-owned utility would add new transformers at already existing power stations instead of building new power plants.

He said the IPPs would be adding more supply to the grid within the next 18 months.

Mantashe also said maintaining infrastructure was important.

“Part of the solution is to optimize the operation of Eskom, please serve and maintain the units that are not giving us energy and within that, if we can invest in skills and resources we will see a difference shortfall in energy.”

Gwede Mantashe under-fire for calling looters ‘thugs who want to get rich quick’

ANC chair Gwede Mantashe is at the receiving end of criticism for his claim that the ongoing looting of businesses has nothing to do with demands to release former president Jacob Zuma, but has become a get-rich-quick scheme by criminal elements.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika about the government’s response to the unrest, Mantashe said: “I can assure you this is not anything to do with Zuma. It is everything to do with thugs who want to get rich quick and steal as much as they can, as soon as possible.”

Mantashe said it will take a long time to rebuild the economic infrastructure that has been destroyed, and the working class and the poor will be affected most.

The government is under pressure to provide answers about its efforts to quell the tensions in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, as infrastructure is destroyed and businesses looted in violent protests that started at the weekend.

The demonstrations were fuelled by the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma who is serving a 15-month sentence at the Estcourt prison. The Constitutional Court found him guilty of contempt of court after he failed to appear before the state capture inquiry.

Some accused Mantashe of dodging accountability while others denied the scores of people looting supermarkets are criminal elements.

Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula on Wednesday said she asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy another 25,000 soldiers to quell tensions in areas affected by the looting and violence in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

Addressing MPs, Mapisa-Nqakula said the president wasn’t satisfied with the initial deployment of 2,500 soldiers.

“He said he is unhappy with those numbers and that we should not worry about the cost, but we should be worried about the rampant looting and also about the lives of South Africans who are being killed,” said the minister.

Many took to social media to weigh in on Mantashe’s claims. Here are some of the reactions:

? Gwede Mantashe

Our government doesn’t wanna take responsibility ?

— Rhulisani ??✨ (@Mama_Rhuli) July 14, 2021

Gwede Mantashe said people are looting because they they want to "get rich quickly."

Looting floor, rice and maize meal to get rich quickly? Interesting.

— girl before a mirror. (@lihlendlovu__) July 14, 2021

How many years of looting did it take Gwede Mantashe to have that fat belly?

Yet he thinks 10KG of rice will make people rich??

What a joke?

— The Musician (@bongzmessi) July 14, 2021