The umKhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has joined the calls for the removal of Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, saying she is not fit to hold the position. 

The party was responding to the calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remove Nkabane amid allegations of corruption at the Construction Sector Education and Training Authority (CETA) and claims that she misled Parliament. 

Nkabane is already under scrutiny for misleading the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education about the composition of the panel responsible for recommending appointments to the boards of Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETAs), which appointed  ANC-aligned individuals. 

This week, fresh revelations emerged in reports that she ignored whistleblower reports detailing tender fraud and governance irregularities at CETA, which has a budget exceeding R20 billion.

The whistleblower, Tumiso Mphuthi, a suspended CETA senior manager, claimed that Nkabane repeatedly ignored her corruption complaints against CEO Malusi Shezi. 

Mphuthi alleged that Shezi rigged tenders awarding contracts to unqualified bidders, yet no investigation was launched despite her submitting evidence to multiple authorities. 

MKP MP, Mnqobi Msenzane, said these activities show that Nkabane was not fit for the office, adding that she has displayed a serious level of incompetence. 

He said the challenges at CETA were not an island, adding that they include other institutions such as the Services SETA, which date back prior to the arrival of the current CEO. 

Msenzane said Nkabane created chaos in all SETAs, including her attempt to appoint highly political, conflicted individuals to be board chairpersons of SETAs, and her closest friends who were board members of the Energy and Water SETA (EWSETA). 

“Due to pressures exerted by MK Party MPs and other committee members, the Minister has since withdrawn the corrupt appointments. 

“As if nothing worse could have tragically visited the SETAs, the Minister proceeded by misleading the Portfolio Committee on the existence of the so-called Independent Panel, which the Minister must still come and answer to the Committee for her shocking transgressions.”

He said Nkabane also delayed the appointments of the SETA board for two months, adding that this has placed the SETAs in disarray, there is a corporate governance breakdown that have seen Auditor General (AG) reports delayed. 

He said this would delay the strategic planning and directions of the SETAs, as well as mandatory grant approval.  

“There will be high surpluses in revenues, spending will be less, leading to a hindrance to economic growth. Some stipends and bursaries will not be paid. As things stand, SETAs are similarly under administration currently,” he said. 

Nkabane’s spokesperson, Camagwini Mavovana, said questions should be referred to Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, who did not respond.

Meanwhile, the DA said it has also filed a complaint with the Public Protector, following the revelation that Nkabane misled Parliament.

“The DA also believes that the level of deceit and misleading of Parliament violates the Executive Members Ethics Code, for which the Public Protector has jurisdiction to investigate and make findings – and therefore the DA has reported Minister Nkabane to the Public Protector for investigation into the serious breach of the Executive Members Ethics Code in numerous counts of misleading Parliament,” the party said. 

Prominent academic Prof Malegapuru Makgoba has joined calls for her resignation. 

In an opinion piece published in the Sunday Times, former University of KwaZulu-Natal vice-chancellor and national health ombud, Makgoba said the only honourable course for Nkabane was to quit, adding that she had disgraced Ramaphosa and publicly embarrassed him, the higher education and her department.

“She brought this sector into disrepute and her continued presence in the position of Minister continues to damage this vulnerable sector, he said.

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za

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