By Johnathan Paoli
Parliament’s Select Committee on Education, Sciences and the Creative Industries has called on the Higher Education and Training Department to maintain momentum within the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), despite recent developments surrounding “perceived conflicts” of interest in board appointments.
Committee chairperson Makhi Feni affirmed the committee’s confidence in Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s leadership and her prompt response to public concerns.
“It is unfortunate and unfair to ridicule the entire sector based on what was ultimately an error in judgement. We commend the minister for her responsiveness and ability to lead a complex sector such as higher education,” Feni said.
This comes after Nkabane withdrew the appointment of SETA board chairpersons amid public concern over transparency and governance, following criticism over possible conflicts of interest in some of the appointments, prompting the re-opening of the process.
While acknowledging the controversy, Feni urged all stakeholders to avoid using the board appointment issue as a basis for broader allegations of corruption within the department.
He said the appointment of SETA boards was just one of many ministerial responsibilities and should not overshadow the valuable work being done across the post-school education and training landscape.
“We therefore make the call that momentum should not be lost in the important interventions of the SETAs. Our education system remains too focused on the university model, often at the expense of skills development and vocational training. SETAs play a critical role in closing that gap,” he said.
The SETAs, which are responsible for promoting skills development in key economic sectors, have been central to the national effort to align education and training with labour market needs.
Feni warned that any pause in their operations due to governance uncertainty would negatively impact efforts to boost employability and drive inclusive economic growth.
Nkabane announced the withdrawal of the disputed appointments on Thursday, saying she would establish a new independent panel to process the nominations and recommend candidates.
The committee said this decision affirmed the minister’s commitment to transparent governance and offered South Africans a rare opportunity to shape the leadership of institutions tasked with national skills development.
Feni said the committee fully supported the minister’s right to appoint individuals she deemed fit, provided that those appointments reflected the values of accountability and service to the public good.
“These should be men and women who will advance the objectives of society and contribute to the vision of the Government of National Unity,” he said.
The committee encouraged citizens and stakeholders to use this window to recommend credible candidates.
Nkabane said the reappointment process would proceed swiftly in the coming weeks.
INSIDE EDUCATION
