Latest news with #HigherEducationPortfolioCommittee
IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
DA to report Nkabane to Ethics Committee for misleading Parliament
Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane is in hot water over the names of the independent panel that recommended chairpersons of SETA boards she disclosed to the Higher Education Portfolio Committee on Tuesday. Image: Archives The DA has threatened to report Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane to the Ethics Committee for allegedly misleading Parliament over the independent panel that recommended the chairpersons of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). This follows the much-anticipated disclosure on Tuesday when Nkabane finally revealed the names of the independent panel members to the Higher Education Portfolio Committee. Nkabane previously faced intense scrutiny for her alleged bias in selecting candidates for the SETA chairs, particularly those aligned with the ANC. During a recent heated session, she refused to disclose the identity of the panel members, only to promise to do so on compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Nkabane's spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, confirmed that she had disclosed the panel members. 'The minister stands ready to account to the portfolio committee and to respond to further requests for information in this regard,' Mavovana said. The disclosed panel members are Advocate Terry Motau, who reportedly did not attend any meetings, Asisipho Solani, Nelisiwe Semane, Mabuza Ngubane, and Rhulani Ngwenya. The DA has raised concerns about some of the panel members. DA MP Karabo Khakhau said Solani is the ministerial advisor to Nkabane, Semane, the chief of staff in her office, Ngubane, the chief director responsible for SETA coordination, and Ngwenya, the department's deputy director-general for corporate services. Khakhau also stated that Nkabane failed to reveal all names, as one panel member's name was concealed due to their discomfort with being disclosed. 'The minister also concealed two other names from the National Skills Authority Selection and Evaluation Panel, as well as one from the Universities Council Ministerial Appointments, and the Selection and Evaluation Panel for the Council for Higher Education (CHE),' she said. Portfolio committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie welcomed the submission of a letter containing the names of panel members. Letsie said the committee has consistently held the view that Nkabane was constitutionally obligated to disclose the names of the panel members to Parliament. 'We are pleased that sanity has prevailed and that the minister has now complied with this requirement. The committee believes this disclosure should have occurred from the outset,' he said. Letsie stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in institutions funded by public resources. 'We are dealing with public institutions funded through parliamentary appropriations. It was therefore baffling that the committee had to strongly remind the minister of such a basic accountability requirement in our democratic governance system.' Letsie said the committee will now engage with the minister further on the processes followed in appointing chairpersons to lead South Africa's 21 SETAs. Khakhau said her party will refer Nkabane to the Ethics Committee. 'The DA will refer the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, to the ethics committee for misleading the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education when she stated that all members of the Sector Education and Training Authority board chairpersons Selection and Evaluation Panel were independent,' she said.
IOL News
30-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Nkabane's controversial refusal to disclose SETA panel members
Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane told the Higher Education Portfolio Committee that she could declare her volunteers who served on the panel that selected and made recommendations on the chairpersons of SETA boards that have since been withdrawn. Image: X Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane repeatedly refused to disclose the names of members of the panel that selected and recommended the now-withdrawn chairpersons of the Sector and Education Training Authorities (SETA). This happened as top department officials, including Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi, told the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education that they did not know the people serving on the panel. Nkabane was appearing before the portfolio committee after she withdrew the appointments of chairpersons for the SETA boards following public outrage after the list of the appointments was leaked. The appointments had included ANC-aligned people that included former KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Buyambo Mantashe, son of ANC national chairperson and Minister of Minerals and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Briefing the committee on Friday, Nkabane maintained that they complied with the law when processing the appointments, having considered the criteria that candidates met. 'The integrity of the process was beyond scrutiny and reproach,' she said. Nkabane also said she had appointed the panel using the King 4 Report on Governance to ensure there was a dedicated committee to play oversight. 'This requirement of assigning a dedicated structure to evaluate the nominations was a recommendation by the Auditor-General on boards in 2020,' she said. The department had obtained 573 nominations, but only 20 were recommended for appointments by the independent panel. Nkabane told the committee that the panel consisted of very reputable and highly profiled individuals who would do the work voluntarily. 'They don't claim to execute this responsibility on behalf of the minister.' She further stated that the panel consisted of five or six people, a similar size to those that made recommendations for the board of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and university councils. Asked by DA MP Letta Maseko who the members of the panel were, Nkabane put her foot down. 'There is no need for me to come and declare my volunteers, the people who assisted me voluntarily to execute my responsibilities. I am not in a position. If something wrong you believe happened with the entire process, you shoot the person empowered by legislation to execute the responsibility,' she said. Pressed again by Maseko to name the panel, Nkabane said: 'I can't share the names. Whatever comes, the responsibility lies with the minister, not them. I am not to drag them.' Nkabane stood her ground when MK Party MP Mnqobi Msezane said it was of public interest that the panel be named, as well as the criteria used to appoint 'ghost people'. 'I still maintain that we want to know who those people are,' Msezane said. EFF MP Sihle Lonzi said they did not buy Nkabane's explanation that the initial process was beyond reproach. In response, Nkabane insisted that the process had no flaws. 'The process was run by a credible and reputable panel. They overlooked demographics,' she said. When Lonzi asked if Nkabane would disclose 'the secret panel', she referred to advisory councils. This prompted Lonzi to ask her to answer in yes or no whether she will disclose the names of the people on the panel who took very serious decisions on behalf of the Ministry and the department. 'The people of South Africa want to know where the decisions about higher education are made. Are you willing to tell us the people, yes or no?' asked Lonzi, before promising they would find the names of the panel members. In response, Nkabane said she was not in court. 'It is not compulsory for me to disclose the independent panel that is assisting the minister. I will find out from them if they are happy I disclose their names. I can't come here and disclose information. I need to comply with relevant legislation. I am not going to respond to yes or no,' she said. DA MP Karabo Khakhau said it was an act of shame for Nkabane to be arrogant and tell the committee it was none of its business who the people on the panel that advised her were. 'It is our business as people of this committee. It is the business of the people of South Africa to know,' Khakhau said. The department has restarted the nominations of the SETA boards' chairpersons, and nominations are open until June 12.
