\n\t\tThe ANC veteran urged them to take initiative and actively seek employment, rather than basking in the sun.\n\t<\/p>\n
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has come under fire after suggesting that South Africans have become overly reliant on the state. <\/p>\n
His remarks, made during an interview on Sunday ahead of the ANC\u2019s 8 January birthday celebrations, have sparked widespread debate online.<\/p>\n
Mantashe argued that the ANC has often downplayed its achievements, citing initiatives such as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), which has enabled underprivileged children to graduate.<\/p>\n
He also highlighted the party\u2019s role in building a social security system to support the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t talk about that,\u201d Mantashe told SABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mantashes claims ANC created a \u2018passive society\u2019<\/p>\n Comparing South Africa to China, Mantashe claimed the ANC committed a mistake by developing a \u201cpassive society\u201d where citizens expect the government to solve problems for them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe difference is that Chinese people put their skin in the fire. <\/p>\n \u201cSouth Africa has developed a theory of delivery, which means you sit back, you sit in the sun and expect the state to deliver, and people are not involved,\u201d the ANC national chairperson said.<\/p>\n He said greater citizen participation could help the country reach its potential.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Will unemployment worsen in 2026? These were the companies that retrenched and closed down in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Mantashe expressed pride in the ANC\u2019s strides in government since 1994, but seemed to criticise citizens for not making full use of the opportunities provided.<\/p>\n \u201cI am happy that we have delivered. We have changed the outlook of the country. <\/p>\n \u201cI am unhappy that many of our people don\u2019t use the advantages of an ANC government. Instead, they expect that government to take them there.\u201d<\/p>\n He cited the example of a young woman from the Eastern Cape who studied to become a pharmacist through Nsfas funding, but struggled to find a job.<\/p>\n Using an analogy, the minister claimed he reminded the woman that the ANC provided her with the tools, but it cannot do the work for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI said to her, \u2018The ANC has given you a fishing rod; it must now catch fish for you,\u2019 and she says, \u2018No, I never looked at it from that angle.’\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018They don\u2019t look for jobs themselves\u2019<\/p>\n Mantashe emphasised the ANC government\u2019s policies have inadvertently fostered passivity, drawing from his own experience with a community farming project in his hometown of Cala in Eastern Cape.<\/p>\n \u201cMany thought that was a government project, but it was my project. I was ploughing the land for villages and said to them, young people must participate in the production of maize.<\/p>\n \u201cThey refused. They wanted me to rent the piece of land. They didn\u2019t want to be part of the project until after three years. I said, \u2018If you are not part of the project, then I give up on the project.\u2019 I gave up.\u201d<\/p>\n He described the lack of engagement as \u201ca big disappointment\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t want to be part of the improvement, and I\u2019m unhappy about that. I would prefer a society that is doing things themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n