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. 

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.

Khakhau was referring to the disclosure of the panel’s members, especially those who are working in the Ministry and the department.

She said the DA will also request that all minutes of the panel be made available to the committee in full, as well as the reports sent to the National Skills Authority for final consideration of the appointments.

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, Mavovana said Nkabane had wanted to appoint a panel that was free from vested interest within the SETA governance strictures, and stated that the people linked to the panel have no wrongdoing and accusations against them.

She confirmed that Motau did not attend the panel’s meetings because of other commitments and that the panel was an advisory committee, not something like a board.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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