Parliament, Thursday, 27 August 2020 – The Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings has resolved to postpone a scheduled briefing it was going to receive today from the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande.
The briefing was going to be on progress made on the implementation of the undertakings that were made by the Minister during Question and Answer Session in the National Council of Provinces on 29, May 2018.
The undertakings are: to intensify investment in skills programme development in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Colleges, addressing capacity development in universities, and the implementation of the new higher education and training bursary scheme.
Deputy Minister of the department, Mr Buti Manamela, told the committee that he checked the department’s report on the undertakings and discovered that it was not ready to be presented to the committee.
The committee expressed its disappointment and told Mr Manamela that the undertakings that were made by the Minister more than two years ago are about challenges that need to be addressed in the higher education sector now than ever before.
The committee said that the department will be given an alternative date to brief the committee on the undertakings. It also cautioned the department against delaying the programme of the committee.
The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Zukiswa Ncitha said: “Initially the department was supposed to brief the committee on the undertakings on 25 August 2020, and today it presents a new problem of sub-standard of reports”. Furthermore, Ms Ncitha said that this indicates a lack of cooperation from the ministers.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS AND EXECUTIVE UNDERTAKINGS, MS ZUKISWA NCITHA.
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