Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy

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South Africa
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy
Incumbent
Gwede Mantashe
since 30 May 2019
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerCyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa
DeputyNobuhle Nkabane
SalaryR2,401,633[1]
WebsiteDepartment of Mineral Resources and Energy

The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy is a minister in the cabinet of the South African national government. The portfolio was called the Ministry of Minerals and Energy until May 2009, when President Jacob Zuma split it into two separate portfolios under the Ministry of Mining (later the Ministry of Mineral Resources) and the Ministry of Energy.[2] Ten years later, in May 2019, his successor President Cyril Ramaphosa reunited the portfolios as the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.[3]

The current minister is Gwede Mantashe, who was appointed to the position when the portfolios were reunified and who had been Minister of Mineral Resources before then.[3] He is the political head of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, which was formed in a merger in June 2019.

History

The Ministry of Minerals and Energy existed as a position in the apartheid government and was retained in the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the first democratic elections in 1994.[4] When the National Party resigned from the GNU, there was a cabinet reshuffle, in which Pik Botha was replaced.[5] Since then, every incumbent of the ministry has been a member of the ruling African National Congress.

When Zuma took office in May 2009, he separated the Department of Minerals and Energy into the Department of Mining and the Department of Energy, overseen by the Minister of Mining and the Minister of Energy respectively.[2] The Minister of Mining became known as the Minister of Mineral Resources from the beginning of his second cabinet in May 2014, and the department was also renamed accordingly. During Zuma's presidency, there were a number of cabinet reshuffles, affecting the energy portfolio in particular.[6][7][8] The dismissals of energy ministers were linked by commentators to Zuma's efforts to gain approval for a proposed nuclear power deal with Russia.[9][10][11]

When Ramaphosa replaced Zuma in February 2018, he retained the separate mineral resources and energy portfolios during his first cabinet, but, after being re-elected pursuant to the 2019 general election, he united the ministerial portfolios and, shortly afterwards, the departments.[3][12]

List of ministers

Mineral and energy (1994–2009)

Minister Term President
Pik Botha 1994 1996 Mandela (I)
Penuell Maduna 1996 1999
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka 1999 2004 Mbeki (I)
Lindiwe Hendricks 2004 2006 Mbeki (II)
Buyelwa Sonjica 2006 2009
Mbeki (II)

Motlanthe (I)

Susan Shabangu was deputy minister for the duration of Maduna and Mlambo-Ngcuka's tenure as minister.[13] Mlambo-Ngcuka and Shabangu were the portfolio's first female minister and deputy minister respectively, and theirs was the first ministry in the history of the South African government in which both top positions were filled by women.[14] Lulu Xingwana succeeded Shabangu as deputy minister under Hendricks.[15][16]

Separate portfolios (2009–2019)

Mineral resources

Minister Term President
Susan Shabangu 2009 2014 Zuma (I)
Ngoako Ramathlodi 2014 2015 Zuma (II)
Mosebenzi Zwane 2015 2018
Gwede Mantashe 2018 2019 Ramaphosa (I)

Godfrey Oliphant was deputy minister between November 2010 and May 2019.[17]

Energy

Minister Term President
Dipuo Peters 2009 2013 Zuma (I)
Ben Martins 2013 2014
Tina Joemat-Pettersson 2014 2017 Zuma (II)
Mmamoloko Kubayi 2017 2017
David Mahlobo 2017 2018
Jeff Radebe 2018 2019 Ramaphosa (I)

Barbara Thomson was deputy minister of energy between November 2010 and May 2014, when she was succeeded by Thembi Majola, who remained in the position until December 2018.[18][19]

Mineral resources and energy (2019–present)

Minister Term President
Gwede Mantashe 2019 Present Ramaphosa (II)

References

  1. ^ "Here's how much South Africa's ministers and other top government officials will get paid this year". BusinessTech. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Statement by President Jacob Zuma on the appointment of the new Cabinet". South African Government. 10 May 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "President Cyril Ramaphosa announces reconfigured departments". South African government. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  4. ^ Keller, Bill (12 May 1994). "Mandela Completes His Cabinet, Giving Buthelezi a Post". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Mandela Revamps Cabinet in South Africa". Los Angeles Times. 14 May 1996. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  6. ^ "President Jacob Zuma appoints new Ministers and Deputy Ministers". South African Government. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  7. ^ Bezuidenhout, Jessica (28 April 2017). "Ex-SSA man given top energy post". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  8. ^ Quintal, Genevieve (17 October 2017). "Surprise Cabinet reshuffle — who's in and who's out". Business Day. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  9. ^ Essa, Azad (17 October 2017). "S Africa cabinet shaken up 'in bid to seal energy deal'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  10. ^ Winkler, Hartmut (31 March 2017). "Zuma's cabinet reshuffle opens the door for nuclear deal in South Africa". eNCA. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  11. ^ Dlamini, Penwell (17 October 2017). "Cabinet reshuffle about Zuma chasing nuclear deal: Malema". Sowetan. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  12. ^ "President Cyril Ramaphosa announces changes to the National Executive". South African Government. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Susan Shabangu". South African Government. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  14. ^ "About Us". Department of Mineral Resources. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Mbeki's cabinet list". News24. 28 April 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  16. ^ Jasson da Costa, Wendy (23 May 2006). "Mbeki's cabinet reshuffle raises eyebrows". IOL. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  17. ^ "Godfrey Oliphant". South African Government. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Barbara Thomson". South African Government. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Thembi Majola". South African Government. Retrieved 17 January 2022.

External links