Gwede Mantashe’s job remarks draw sharp rebuke

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Economist Lumkile Mondi says remarks made by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe during an interview with SABC show how alienated he is from ordinary South Africans.

WATCH | Economist Dr Lumkile Mondi says Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s weekend remarks urging South Africans to look for work rather than waiting for government to provide them with jobs demonstrates that he is alienated from the masses. pic.twitter.com/LJllL9VghZ

— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 6, 2026

Mantashe suggested that citizens have become overly reliant on the state by expecting the government to provide them with jobs.

Mantashe claimed the African National Congress (ANC) committed a mistake by developing a passive society where citizens expect the government to solve problems for them.

Dr. Mondi says these remarks serve as a reminder for citizens to make informed political choices in the local elections.

“It is that disempowerment by the ANC-led government that has put people where they are today. So for people, it means that please make the right choices and making sure that you’ve got a government that makes things happen, that invests on infrastructure, on creating employment and making costs for households much, much lower,” adds Dr. Mondi.

WATCH | Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe has urged South Africans to be proactive, adding that people must look for work and not wait for the government to give them jobs. pic.twitter.com/Ey9VG1Rdem

— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 4, 2026