Social media slams Mantashe’s U-turn on ‘9 wasted years’

SOCIAL media users have slammed Minerals and Energy Minister and ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe over his apparent about-face on the “nine wasted years” narrative.

In a video, Mantashe is heard saying the narrative is a myth and a lie.

It is not clear when the video was captured and where Mantashe was delivering his speech, in which he is reported as saying the “so-called years”, also known as “state capture“, were some of the best years in terms of service delivery under the stewardship of former president Jacob Zuma.

Many on social media said his change of heart was hypocritical after he spent more than six years in support of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, which coined the “nine wasted years” term.

“Nine wasted years is a myth, comrade. In the last nine years, under the leadership of comrade Jacob Zuma, as president there was a stronger focus on education, which split education into basic education and higher education, and that focus improved the overall performance … Access to ARVs and the war against HIV/Aids were intensive under his leadership. We can list them – health, education,” Mantashe said.

The phrase “nine wasted years” was first coined by Ramaphosa in 2019 in reference to Zuma’s presidency.

Ramaphosa saw them as lost years when investor confidence in the country was destroyed. In 2020, Zuma defended his tenure as head of state, dismissing the narrative that his nine years of presidency were a waste as “dishonesty” and “propaganda”.

“Gwede is a bloody hypocrite an old dishonest man …he has been cool for six years with this narrative of nine wasted years; never brave to say what he is saying now. We know Zuma’s track record,” one social media user said. Other users said Mantashe was now seeking support due to cooling relations with Ramaphosa.