16.05.2025
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Alarm raised over “ANC affiliated” SETA board appointments

7 mins



  • [FILE] Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane at a high-level meeting to align department efforts in research, technology, and skills development.

4 minutes

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to Parliament’s Higher Education and Training Portfolio Committee to raise objections to the recent appointments of board members to the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA).

The DA has expressed concern over the inclusion of individuals linked to the African National Congress (ANC), including Minister Gwede Mantashe’s son, Buyambo Mantashe, and former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

The party warns that the appointments could lead to the politicisation of the SETA, which is responsible for implementing skills development programmes such as learnerships and internships.

DA National Spokesperson Karabo Lerato Khakhau says the appointments would weaken the boards’ effectiveness.

“They are pretty much eating away at the board’s ability to do its work effectively, because I mean, people don’t have to work. All they have to do is just be there because they know that they’re either Gwede Mantashe’s son, they’re either Gwede Mantashe’s advisor, they’re either a former Premier of KZN,” says Khakhau.

“We are looking very earnestly to closely be able to deal with the Minister (Nobuhle Nkabane) and let her answer for why is it that she thinks that KZN ANC cadres should be at the helm of SETAs, particularly when we know SETAs are playground of rot and corruption across the sector,” she adds.

PODCAST | DA objects to SETA board appointments:

Tensions escalated during a meeting of the portfolio committee when EFF MP Sihle Lonzi insisted on questioning the Director General of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, about the appointments.

The committee had earlier agreed that such questions would be addressed in a separate meeting with the minister.

Despite the agreement, Lonzi pressed on, asking: “DG, are you aware that the son of Gwede Mantashe has been appointed as one of the chairs of the SETA boards?”

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie then called Parliament’s Protection Services to remove Lonzi after several members raised concerns over his conduct.

IFP MP Sanele Sethembeni said, “The one who does the appointments is the minister and we have agreed as the whole committee, because I started on that question when I got here… we leave it like this to say we have the meeting with the minister.”

MK MP Mnqobi Msezane added, “We are going to lose confidence in you as the chair of this committee. The meeting is degenerating… Bring the house to order. We don’t want to see this.”

ANC MP Gaolatlhe Kgabo said, “We are not here for people who want Facebook (likes). It’s not as if we cannot degenerate to this level. We can. We are both young people. We can take each other head-on, toe to toe.”

Following the incident, the Economic Freedom Fighters issued a statement condemning the removal of Lonzi, calling the move “unparliamentary” and “a violent suppression of accountability.”

“Instead of allowing the DG to respond to this legitimate inquiry, Chairperson Tebogo Letsie, backed by ANC-aligned committee members, shut down the question, disrupted proceedings, and proceeded to call in parliamentary security personnel to forcibly remove Commissar Lonzi from the meeting,” the statement read.

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