LIVE: Higher Education Department faces Portfolio Committee over controversial SETA board picks

The Department of Higher Education and Training will brief the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on the alleged “independent panel” for the Selection and Recommendation of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) board appointments by fired Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane.

This comes a day after Nkabane was fired by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa has since appointed her deputy, Buti Manamela, as Minister of Higher Education and Training, with Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube named as deputy minister.

The reshuffle follows intense scrutiny of Nkabane’s alleged role in misleading Parliament about the appointment process of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board members. 

The appointments included individuals closely tied to the African National Congress (ANC), such as Buyambo Mantashe, son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, and Dube-Ncube.

Last month, Ramaphosa requested a formal report from Nkabane regarding her conduct. 

Even though Nkabane maintained that the appointments were lawful, opposition parties accused her of undermining transparency.

Last week on Friday, IOL News reported that Nkabane has come under fire again after failing to appear before Parliament to account for the controversial appointments to the SETA boards, which included several ANC allies. 

She instead opted to attend a GBV event in the Eastern Cape.

Nkabane sent a last-minute apology to the portfolio committee, citing a gender-based violence (GBV) event at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in the Eastern Cape as the reason for her absence.

Her apology was rejected by committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie.

Letsie said after receiving the letter, he told Nkabane that he is not accepting her apology because it does not make sense for her to be absent from the meeting.

Nkabane was expected to brief members again on the SETA board selection process, which was recently reversed.

Many of the appointees were allegedly linked to the ANC, which raised concerns over political interference and nepotism.

Although Nkabane previously told MPs that the selections were made by an “independent” panel chaired by Advocate Terry Motau, Motau later denied any involvement. 

Other members of the selection panel included her chief of staff, Nelisiwe Semane, and adviser Asisipho Solani, both of whom were absent from the meeting. 

Department of Higher Education Deputy Director-General Rhulani Ngwenya and Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi also failed to attend the meeting.

Opposition parties, including the DA, MK Party, FF Plus, Rise Mzansi, and ActionSA, have welcomed Nkabane’s removal from Cabinet.

The parties described her exit as overdue and blamed her for dodging accountability over disputed SETA board selections.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics