Nkabane allegedly lied about the Seta board panel, prompting MPs to demand her immediate removal.
Amid rumours of a Cabinet reshuffle, President Cyril Ramaphosa is under pressure to fire Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane.
Nkabane “lied” to parliament about the appointment of the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) board chairs and “must be fired”, DA MP and portfolio committee member of education, Karabo Khakhau, told Ramaphosa in no uncertain terms.
“Mr President, you have a lying minister in your Cabinet, who has been caught red-handed.
“It is time for you to fire Minister Nobuhle Nkabane with immediate effect and to replace her with a minister committed to making higher education work, not committed to making work for ANC insiders,” Khakhau said.
Nkabane “misled” parliament by providing false information about the procedure for appointing the Seta chairs – a list dominated by ANC cadres – and the composition of the panel that appointed the chairs.
The minister was questioned by the portfolio committee on the composition of the panel tasked to appoint the chairs and got into hot water when she told the committee advocate Terry Motau chaired the process.
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Motau this week denied he chaired the process, nor was he officially appointed as the panel chair.
Khakhau was responsible for blowing the whistle on Nkabane’s list of board chairs, that included former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa-Ncube and former KZN MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu.
Besides ANC senior members, at least half of the list are individuals from KwaZulu-Natal, Nkabane’s home province.
Mantashe’s son a chair for boards
But it was her inclusion of Buyambo Mantashe, son of Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe, as chair of one of the boards that raised red flags.
Mantashe senior was Nkabane’s boss when she was deputy minister of mineral resources and energy between 2021 and 2024.
Khakhau told Ramaphosa: “She has used a strategy of lying to parliament to try and cover up her tracks, after she made a brazen ANC cadre deployment appointment to the boards of Seta.
“South Africans were rightfully outraged about this.
“Once exposed and once public pressure mounted, Nkabane made an effective admission to her infringements by withdrawing the appointments.”
Khakhau was joined by MK party MP Mnqobi Msezane, who called for Nkabane’s head, saying she is not fit to hold the position.
Serious level of incompetence
Nkabane displayed a serious level of incompetence, Msezane said.
The minister has since admitted her wrongdoing, including her claim that Motau chaired the panel. She apologised to Motau, calling it a “misunderstanding”.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni did not dismiss rumours about a Cabinet restructuring, except to say she was not aware of them.
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