After weeks of tension, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday (July 21), finally fired Higher Education Minister Nthabiseng Nkabane.
The crisis blew open after Nkabane’s department abruptly dissolved and reappointed the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) board. Several of the new appointees were ANC-aligned, and the process was slammed for lacking transparency and consultation.
Many training institutions and organisations that rely on SETA funding said they were left stranded. They claimed that the board reshuffle disrupted operations, delayed key decisions, and caused chaos across the system.
Despite mounting calls for accountability, Nkabane remained silent and failed to appear before Parliament’s Higher Education Committee on two occasions, avoiding questions about how and why the board was changed.
Buti Manamela, who has served as Deputy Minister since 2014, was promoted to Minister. Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, a former Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, was appointed as Deputy Minister under Section 93(b) of the Constitution, allowing for appointments from outside Parliament.
Whether the shake-up was driven by the SETA debacle or pressure from coalition partners in the Government of National Unity (GNU), including the DA’s open threats to withhold budget support, remains an open question.