By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Embattled Higher Education minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane snubbed Parliament on Friday by failing to attend a meeting, which was supposed to deal with the appointment of the controversial panel to appoint SETA boards.
Nkabane was expected to be joined by her deputy ministers, the department’s director-general, and members of the independent panel that advised on the appointments.
The controversy came to light when a leaked list revealed that several of the appointees had connections to the African National Congress (ANC).
While the appointments were later withdrawn, Nkabane was criticised in Parliament for initially withholding the names of the advisory panel members.
Nkabane revealed that advocate Terry Motau SC; her chief of staff, Nelisiwe Semane; director of Seta coordination in the department, Mabuza Ngubane; deputy director-general for corporate services, Rhulani Ngwenya; and adviser Asisipho Solani were responsible for assisting in making the appointments for the Seta chairpersons.
However, Motau denied that he was ever officially appointed or involved in the final selection process. Three more officials from Nkabane’s department – Semane, Ngubane and Ngwenya – have also denied their involvement in appointing 21 Seta chairpersons.
The committee wanted to question them about the panel’s processes and the rationale behind the controversial selections.
Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie said he received a letter from Nkabane on Tuesday in which she said she would not attend the meeting.
She said she would attend a cabinet committee meeting on progress made to resolve National Student Financial Aid Scheme challenges and later fly to the Eastern Cape to attend a gender-based violence (GBV) awareness campaign.
“Allow me to tender my apology to you and the entire committee in this regard,” Nkabane wrote.
Letsie said he responded on the same day, making clear her apology was not accepted. He told her the meeting of the committee was a priority.
“The constitution mandates that members of the cabinet are accountable, collectively and individually, to parliament for their actions. Your presence in the meeting on Friday is critical for the committee to fulfil its constitutional oversight mandate.
“I request that you kindly reconsider your decision not to attend the meeting on July 18 based on the matters raised above. It is not my intention to seek alternative means within the legislative framework to compel you to come to the meeting,” Letsie wrote to Nkabane.
But she refused and asked if the meeting could take place next week instead.
The DA has since laid a criminal complaint against Nkabane and also reported her to both the Public Protector and Parliament’s Ethics Committee.
According to the DA, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, is investigating her for fraud and for the statutory offence of lying to Parliament.
On Thursday, Nkabane led a peaceful awareness campaign in Bhisho, Eastern Cape, alongside Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students, aimed at raising awareness about Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
Speaking to the media, she dismissed reports that president Cyril Ramaphosa had taken measures against her, including claims that he blocked her recent trip to China with Deputy President Paul Mashatile – even though she was already at OR Tambo International Airport.
“Unfortunately, I only hear about these measures that have been taken against me on social media. There is nothing of that nature, “she said.
“I go to Luthuli House from time to time as a deployee of the ANC, and yesterday, I was in a Cabinet [meeting] with the president. There is no discussion of this nature.
“However, maybe it is still coming because some people can speculate and see things before they could happen.But at this point in time, I cannot comment because I don’t know anything of that nature,” Nkabane said.
Ramaphosa has not made any public announcement on his decision after receiving Nkabane’s report on her conduct during a committee meeting and the Seta appointment process.