Parliament, Friday, 30 May 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has expressed dismay at the Minister of Higher Education and Training's defence of the decision to appoint board chairpersons to the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), claiming the process was beyond reproach.
The department led by its Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, appeared before the committee today following public concerns regarding the process undertaken by her department in appointing board chairpersons to head the country’s 21 SETAs focusing on promoting skills development within specific sectors of the economy.
The Minister told the committee that its Selection and Evaluation Panel completed an assessment of 573 candidate nominations, received within the prescribed deadline and that no political affiliation played a role in the evaluation process and that no candidate was advantaged or disadvantaged based on any political association.
Committee members raised their dissatisfaction that the Minister conceded that she listened to concerns of people through social media and decided to restart the process, however, it boggles the mind that the Minister maintains that the process was beyond question.
The committee said it was frustrating that the meeting could not have an honest discussion on the real reasons for the withdrawal of SETA board members and that the Minister was defensive and unwilling to disclose the process followed.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Tebogo Letsie, said: “Let’s be clear, the process was not beyond reproach, and to suggest otherwise is misleading. The Minister’s unwillingness to disclose how these appointments were made, despite the high level of public concern, points directly to a serious breakdown in the system. You simply cannot reverse an appointment and still insist that the process was flawless.
The Minister said other than the politically connected appointees to SETA, the other concerning part was that the independent panel that advised her did not furnish her with a list that was representative of all demographics of the country. The committee cautioned that if the Minister continues to use the same panel to appoint people into SETAs it could lead to another questionable process.
With respect to the University of Limpopo, the Minister committed to presenting the report on the institution by 30 July 2025. Additionally, the committee resolved to reissue a summons to the university concerning matters that had been previously agreed upon.
Finally, the Minister told the committee that by next week, all the accounting authorities to SETAs will be given their appointment letters.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, MR TEBOGO LETSIE.
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