Sunday Times reports that Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) Minister Buti Manamela is under increasing pressure to come clean before parliament this week about his controversial appointments of certain sector education and training authority (Seta) administrators.
Parliament’s higher education portfolio committee has given Manamela until Tuesday to explain the process that led to the placing of three Setas under administration. These are the Local Government Seta (LGSeta), the Services Seta (SSeta), and the Construction Education and Training Authority (Ceta). This comes amid threats of a legal challenge from the CEOs of two of the affected Setas should Manamela not withdraw his preferred candidates by close of business on Monday. Portfolio committee chair Tebogo Letsie wants the minister to explain how he appointed the three new Seta administrators.
The appointments have been slammed as unlawful by top industry players and certain political parties, including the DA and the EFF. Manamela, who replaced his former boss Nobuhle Nkabane last month, indicated last week that the move was to address “serious and entrenched governance failures”, including “procurement irregularities”, “lapses in oversight” and “board instability”. There was a tense standoff at the Ceta premises on Friday, when the newly minted administrator Oupa Nkoane arrived with DHET director-general Nkosinathi Sishi in tow. Ceta CEO Malusi Shezi mounted a spirited argument against the appointment, questioning its rationality and legitimacy.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Habo Mokone & Sabelo Skiti at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
- Read too, I’m attacked because I stopped open season of looting at Ceta, says CEO, at Sunday World
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