Steenhuisen calls for the axing of Mantashe and Gordhan over Eskom crisis

Minister Pravin Gordhan and Gwede Mantashe at Hyderabad House in New Dehli. Picture: Yogas Nair

Minister Pravin Gordhan and Gwede Mantashe at Hyderabad House in New Dehli. Picture: Yogas Nair

Published Dec 12, 2022

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Joburg - DA leader John Steenhuisen has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to axe Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Minister of Minerals and Energy Gwede Mantashe saying they are part of the obstacle to the solutions required to fix the load shedding crisis.

Steenhuisen said Gordhan was more intent on blocking opposition parties from exercising oversight than grappling with the problem, while Mantashe was called a misguided missile who sowed disinformation and disharmony everywhere he went.

“In your absence, Mr President, other forces are starting to fill the vacuum; those include Minister Mantashe and Minister Pravin Gordhan, who disingenuously and dishonestly are trying to shift the blame to Eskom and Andre De Ruyter for the electricity crisis,” he said.

He also fingered Ramaphosa himself as part of the problem, saying he had been in hiding since the Phala Phala scandal and load shedding had been issues.

Steenhuisen reminded Ramaphosa that in 2015 he told South Africans that in 18 months they would have forgotten that the problems of Eskom and load shedding ever happened.

“We are now sitting in 2022, and the situation is worse than ever been before.”

He said this crisis was a monument to his policy failures and inaction over the course of his leadership.

“The time for hiding away from South Africans is over Mr President; our country is crying out for bold and decisive leadership,” said Steenhuisen.

The Star