For the second year in a row, the winner of the South African Polluter of the Year title is Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, according to votes by DM168 readers.

As was pointed out in 2021, Mantashe is responsible for a portfolio that oversees some of the most environmentally destructive and harmful practices, from seismic blasting to open-cast coal mining. The minister has, however, in the eyes of readers, further cemented his position as polluter-in-chief over the course of 2022.

Asked to comment on the award, Mantashe’s spokesperson Natie Shibangu instead sent a video of the minister announcing that he had been awarded the ‘African Petroleum Minister of the Year Award’ by the African Leadership Organisation.

That award was given to Mantashe at the African Energy and Infrastructure Forum in Ghana in “recognition of his excellent leadership and contribution to the sector”.

The minister’s spokesperson followed up on his response by sending a text saying: “AFRICAN PETROLEUM MINISTER OF THE YEAR 2022”.

In the video, Mantashe says, “It’s not because of an individual, it’s because of the efforts we are making as a sector and the message that is coherent that comes from South Africa that provides clarity and leadership in the continent.”

Indeed, Mantashe has been forceful in his defence of and advocacy for a sector recognised as being a leading contributor to human-induced climate change.

People in Gqeberha protest against the Wild Coast seismic survey on 30 May 2022. (Photo: Gallo Images/Die Burger/ Lulama Zenzile)

Take the case of Shell and the Wild Coast.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Shell determined to pursue seismic exploration ambitions off South Africa’s Wild Coast”

In November, the Eastern Cape High Court in Gqeberha reserved judgment in an application for leave to appeal by the minister, Impact Africa and Shell against a judgment by the Makhanda High Court, which found an exploration right granted to Shell to conduct seismic surveys off the ecologically sensitive Wild Coast was unlawful.

Green Connection’s Liziwe McDaid said the government did not need more fossil fuels, “so why are we still looking?”

“This is starting to feel like a stuck record. Dear decision-makers, we are in a climate crisis, a massive threat to food security. We must stop exploring for more offshore oil and gas, and rather invest in renewable energy.”

Mantashe’s avowed pro-fossil fuel stance may be related to the R15-million donation the governing ANC – of which he is national chairperson – received from the Batho Batho Trust, which has investments in Shell’s exploration.

Mantashe defended the donation from Batho Batho, claiming the party had the “foresight” to invest in the trust years ago.

“They [Batho Batho] didn’t give a gift to the ANC, it pays dividends – because the ANC is an investor at Thebe [Investment Corporation],” said Mantashe.

The Batho Batho Trust owns the lion’s share of Thebe Investment Corporation, which among many other investments has a 28% stake in Shell’s downstream business in South Africa.

“The ANC must have access to finances so that it survives,” the minister said.

Advocating drilling for oil and gas in a sensitive area was not all Mantashe did to win.

He doubled down on his “coal fundamentalist” reputation.

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Despite the health and environmental implications of continued coal use, Mantashe’s department – as custodian of the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) – aims to add more coal to the energy mix.

“You don’t destroy what you have on the basis of hope that something better is coming. You build for the future on what you know and what you have. So that approach …  protects the ability of the state to supply energy,” said Mantashe about coal power.

The IRP 2019 provides for 1,500MW of additional coal power by the year 2030. Coal currently supplies 75% of the country’s electricity and the government has made a commitment to reduce that to 60% by 2030.

A University of Cape Town study shows that the 1,500MW of new coal-powered electricity will cost at least R23-billion more than a least-cost optimal electricity plan, and will result in 25,000 job losses by 2030.

Mantashe and his department have tried to offer “clean coal” technologies as a palliative.

A report by the International Energy Agency shows that, though coal demand remains high, adding more coal capacity is folly.

Without urgent action, emissions from existing coal assets would, by themselves, tip the world over the 1.5°C “limit” of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which seeks to restrict global warming to values below 2°C above pre-industrial era levels.

There are about 9,000 coal-fired power plants in the world, with 2,185GW of capacity. Every day their emissions raise the global average temperature. If Mantashe gets his way, there will be more of them. DM168

How we chose the People of the Year winners

In the past, Daily Maverick journalists decided who they thought warranted the title of Person of the Year, but for the second year running, we have asked readers to vote for their preferred choice, with the proviso that we still have the final say. Choosing the annual winners is a labour of love because that’s what it takes to get a bunch of DM editors to decide whether they agree or disagree with the choices of 13,000 readers. Over the next few days, we shall republish online all the results in various categories. – Heather Robertson, DM168 editor

 This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R25.