Gwede Mantashe Refuses ANCWL Apology Demand — Says Nobody Told Him What He Did

Gwede Mantashe stood before cameras on Tuesday and delivered a response the ANC Women’s League almost certainly did not expect — he told journalists he has no idea what he must apologise for, because nobody from the organisation has contacted him directly.

The League publicly demanded a retraction after Mantashe allegedly made disturbing and derogatory remarks about women during a recent public address. Spokespersons for the ANCWL described his words as deeply offensive, calling on the ruling party’s top brass to hold the Mineral Resources and Energy Minister accountable before the matter escalated further.

ANC party structures confirmed they received the League’s formal complaint, but senior officials stopped short of committing to disciplinary steps. The ANCWL secretary-general indicated the body would pursue internal channels if Mantashe continued refusing engagement, warning that the organisation would not allow powerful figures to dismiss its members without consequence.

This confrontation did not emerge from nowhere. Mantashe has drawn criticism from women’s groups on multiple previous occasions, with detractors pointing to a pattern of dismissive language whenever gender-related topics surfaced in his portfolio. Advocacy bodies noted that remarks attributed to Cabinet ministers carry particular weight given how routinely junior officials mimic leadership tone.

What many viewers could not ignore during Tuesday’s briefing was the Minister’s unwavering composure — arms folded, jaw set — as he repeated almost word-for-word: “I genuinely do not know for what I am expected to apologise.” That single moment, captured across multiple broadcast clips, spread through WhatsApp groups faster than any official media release, with thousands of women sharing the footage alongside their own pointed commentary.

As of Wednesday morning, neither Mantashe’s office nor ANC headquarters had scheduled face-to-face talks with League representatives, leaving the core question entirely unresolved: if a Cabinet Minister publicly humiliates women’s voices and then claims ignorance of wrongdoing, who inside Luthuli House carries both the courage and authority to compel him to listen?

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