Much depends on Ramaphosa's key relationship with his Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe...

Coal advocateThe liberalising of electricity generation had been repeatedly blocked by Minerals and Energy Minister and ANC chair Gwede Mantashe – former general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers and former chair of the South African Communist Party (SACP) – who favours coal over green energy and sought to protect jobs in the failing state monopoly (AC Vol 61 No 20 Private capital green shoots)...

Magashule's claim that he is a brilliant grassroots organiser who has boosted ANC membership from just below a million under his predecessor Gwede Mantashe to 1...

Africa Confidential hears that Ramaphosa and party chair Gwede Mantashe ridiculed Magashule's attempt to suspend the President in the closed meeting of the parliamentary caucus...

Meanwhile another group – comprising Pravin Gordhan Public Enterprise; Naledi Pandor International Relations and Cooperation; Bheki Cele Police; Gwede Mantashe Minerals and Energy – are heading for retirement either after the ANC elective congress or the 2024 general elections...

After ANC chair Gwede Mantashe encouraged the party caucus to back the motion Parliament voted 275-40 on 16 March to accept a report by an expert panel which found Mkhwebane to be incompetent and guilty of misconduct and recommended she be removed from office...

Gwede Mantashe ANC chairperson and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources has kept a very low profile since his hospitalisation for Covid-19 in July...

ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe is alleged to have taken favours from the late disgraced Gavin Watson whose company Bosasa was awarded billions of rands in government contracts in return for the role he and his brothers played in the ANC's struggle against apartheid...

Ramaphosa may have to redeploy Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe if he is to achieve his timelines and targets in the energy sector...

New offeringThe first sign of this shift came on 25 September when Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe hitherto seen as delaying moves towards privatisation and joint ventures published the terms of a new offering in the government gazette (AC Vol 61 No 13 State companies in the firing line)...