Mineworkers feel forgotten as energy transition picks pace

One of the reasons many politicians in Africa are resisting a fast-tracked transition from fossil fuels is because of the impact this will have on jobs and the associated social welfare, community economy and indicators such as poverty, disease, crime and others.

South African energy minister, Gwede Mantashe, has earned a nickname of being “the defender of coal” for his apparent reluctance to let go of the dirty fuel and fast-track the adoption of renewable energy in Africa’s most industrialised nation.