Nkabane confident in new SETA appointments amid public scrutiny

Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has defended the now-cancelled Sector and Education Training Authorities (SETA) appointments, saying the recommended candidates were academically qualified.

“We decided to recalibrate the process, not because there was something wrong with the process that was conducted by the independent panel. It is only because we are responding to the outcry of society hence we are a responsive government, as the ANC.

“We felt it was very important for us to be responsive and listen to the citizens when they cry to say they feel the calibre of the candidates is more politically heavy. So we had to respond, not that there is any legislation we contravened,” Nkabane said.

Responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday, the minister said she is confident that the restarted process to appoint chairpersons of boards of directors of SETA will not again attract an outcry from the public.

Nkabane said she will stick to legislative imperatives and has instructed the panel, independent of handling the nominations and recommendations, to ensure that the list of recommended candidates is not bloated with politically exposed persons.

“When we reopened the process this time around, we are going to address the concerns that were raised. I don’t envisage public outcry after this process is concluded because we anticipate concluding it within a short space of time. I just want to assure the House that there will be no public outcry,” she said.

This comes after the withdrawal of the appointments of SETA chairpersons earlier this month after Nkabane received backlash from civil society and political parties for appointing several ANC-aligned individuals.

Among the controversial appointees were former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Buyambo Mantashe, son of ANC national chairperson and Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe.

The minister said the Constitution guaranteed fundamental freedoms such as the right to choose freely one's trade, occupation, profession, equality before the law, political rights, and freedom of association.

“These principles ensure no individual is denied opportunities based on political affiliation or association,” she said.

Nkabane added that the Skills Development Act contained no provision excluding or favouring candidates based on their political beliefs.

“The government gazette of 22 May 2025 affirms that all nominations for the relevant bodies will be solely judged on lawful merit-based criteria.”

She was adamant that the now-cancelled appointments were beyond reproach and that candidates had met the criteria for appointment.

“They have a role to play in society. They raised their hands to say they wanted to serve so that they could turn around the post-school and education sector. We have a responsibility as a government to respond to the cries.”

EFF MP Sihle Lonzi said the withdrawal of the appointment effectively meant there was a flaw in the process, and that there were people who were not supposed to be chairpersons of the boards.

“If there was no problem in the process, you were not going to withdraw those names. You withdrew the names because the people of South Africa don’t want Gwede Mantashe’s son and ANC comrades there,” Lonzi said.

In response, Nkabane said there was no flaw in the process followed, and they were merely responding to the public outcry.

“We are not to deviate from the legislation that empowers the minister on processes that must be followed in appointing accounting authorities.

“We are still to follow the Constitution, Skills Development Act, and the guide on the criteria that must be followed. Because our people cried that, indeed, it is politically bloated with candidates that were recommended, this time around, among the criteria I will add personally, is to say to the independent panel to please make sure it is balanced in demographics and that that we don’t see bloated politically associated candidates in that list.

“However, we need to take into consideration that the Constitution does not preclude those who are politically affiliated,” Nkabane said.