Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training chairperson Tebogo Letsie.
Image: Parliament RSA/Supplied
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Tebogo Letsie, has labelled comments by Universities South Africa (USAf) Executive Officer, Dr Phethiwe Matutu as “unfortunate and out of touch with reality”, saying the committee has been confronted with growing concerns about the employment of foreign academics.
Letsie criticised the recent remarks by Matutu, adding South Africans from across the country brought forward information and experiences that cannot be ignored.
“As the Chairperson of the committee, I wrote to the Minister of Higher Education requesting information about foreign nationals employed at public universities,” Letsie said.
USAf had said it respects Parliament’s oversight role but was concerned that the issue is increasingly politicised and devoid of the realities of how universities function in a global knowledge economy.
Matutu said that the current debate risks distorting both the purpose and practice of internationalisation in South African higher education.
“The idea that foreign academics are displacing local talent is not borne out by evidence or by institutional practice... It is a baseless misconception. In fact, in 2024, foreign staff, according to the Department of Higher Education and Training, made up about 14% or 6,685 of a total of 47,078 of all staff at our universities – far below the international norm, where leading systems often exceed 20% to 30%, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The numbers include permanent and temporary staff,” Matutu said.
“The presence of foreign staff is transformative and complements local expertise whilst enhancing South Africa’s global competitiveness.”
Matutu added that internationalisation is being practised responsibly and with the necessary guardrails firmly in place.
“Universities do not simply appoint foreign academics at will. Appointments are justified, scrutinised and aligned with national policy,” she said.
Matutu said USAf urges policymakers and the public to engage with this issue constructively and factually, and that to suggest that foreign nationals in higher education are a nuisance is short-sighted.
“We welcome oversight and dialogue. But it must be grounded in evidence, not fear. Internationalisation is not a threat to local staff; it is a catalyst for their development. South Africa needs a strong, diverse, globally connected academic workforce to secure its future,” Matutu said.
Dr Phethiwe Matutu, Chief Executive Officer of USAf.
Image: Supplied
Letsie said the request to the Department of Higher Education for information about foreign nationals employed at universities was not committee members playing politics.
“We were responding to issues that kept coming up during oversight visits,” Letsie said.
He added that, as public representatives, it is their duty to interrogate the information they have received, both formally and informally, from the sector over which we conduct oversight.
Letsie said that public universities are funded by the people of South Africa, and that they exist to advance the interests of the people.
“They cannot stand apart from the laws of the republic or from the realities faced by millions of unemployed graduates.”
He added that members of the committee have never said they were against internationalisation.
“We understand it very well. Internationalisation can never be at the expense of South Africans. USAf is spreading a false and mischievous narrative that the committee’s probing of employment of foreign academics is a political ploy,” said Letsie.
“USaf failed to read the room. Your own statement on social media has garnered reactions that clearly point to an organisation that is out of touch with people. We can never be apologetic about putting the future of our young people first. The only part we agree with USAf on is that fraud and improper appointments must be addressed,” Letsie said.
He explained that the committee is not hostile towards people from other countries.
“South Africa is part of a global academic community, and many foreign academics have made valuable contributions to our institutions, especially in scarce and critical skills areas such as science, engineering and health sciences.
“Their expertise has strengthened research, enriched teaching and supported academic development in our universities,” added Letsie.
“Let us be clear, South Africa comes first. Everything else follows.”
The Public Servants Association (PSA) earlier this year said the directive seeks to tighten compliance with immigration and labour legislation and ensure that foreign appointments genuinely address verified skills shortages rather than bypassing existing legal frameworks.
“The PSA noted Parliament's concern that some institutions may have used internationalisation as justification to circumvent immigration laws, resulting in irregularities and unreliable data on the employment of foreign nationals, including in senior administrative posts not aligned with the Critical Skills List."
“Ensuring that vacancies in the public education sector prioritise qualified South Africans is essential to strengthen national employment opportunities, stabilise public institutions, and maintain public trust in recruitment processes.”
Cape Times