Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has been accused of misleading Parliament about the appointment of board members to a training entity
In a swift response to recent controversies, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Buti Manamela as the new Minister of Higher Education and Training.
The decision follows Dr Nobuhle Nkabane’s ousting, which she announced in a brief statement on Monday afternoon.
Nkabane expressed her gratitude to President Ramaphosa for the opportunity to serve in such a critical role, stating, “I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, for entrusting me with the responsibility to serve as Minister of Higher Education and Training.”
Minutes after her statement, Ramaphosa announced Manamela’s appointment as well as Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who will be serving as the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training.
The reshuffling comes as Nkabane faced intense scrutiny particularly for her alleged misleading of Parliament regarding the process of appointing the SETA board members. Reports emerged indicating that the list of appointees was heavily influenced by affiliations with the African National Congress (ANC), incorporating figures such as Buyambo, the son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe.
Last week, Nkabane came under fire after failing to appear before Parliament to account for the controversial appointments. 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 eventually 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 denied any involvement.
