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MPs demand transparency over secretive Seta appointments panel

MPs demand transparency over secretive Seta appointments panel
Sihle Lonzi EFF Youth And Students Presser at the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Presser at Winnie Madikizeka Mandela House in Marshalltown on October 26, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The EFF student wing campaigns for free education, universal access to education and the elimination of registration fees, among other things. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)
Siyabonga Goni
By Siyabonga Goni
2 Jun 2025
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Members of the parliamentary committee on higher education are unhappy with Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane, who refused to disclose the names of people on an independent panel that helped her decide on the appointment of Seta board chairs.

Members of the parliamentary committee on higher education have voiced their concern about Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, who appeared in Parliament last Friday to address decisions she and an independent panel took to appoint chairpersons of 20 Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards. Those appointed included ANC comrades and the son of a government minister.

Read more: Minister withdraws recent appointments of chairpersons for Seta boards amid claims of nepotism, corruption

Nkabane told committee members that she had withdrawn the previous Seta board appointments and issued a new Government Gazette calling for fresh nominations. She maintained that there were no flaws in the original appointment process, explaining that she had established an independent panel to assist in appointing leadership for institutions such as Seta and NSFAS. However, she refused to disclose the names of the panel members. Setas are vocational skills training organisations responsible for promoting and facilitating education and training within specific economic sectors.

However, members of the committee who spoke to Daily Maverick were unhappy about the minister keeping the panel secret, because they were responsible for making decisions which had now led to the controversy.

Sedukanelo Louw (ANC) said, “We are of the view that members of the panel should be known by the public… Whatever decision they are taking impacts on the Setas… And part of the things we have realised is the internal sabotage within the department [and] within the minister’s office.” Louw said the problems were not merely attributable to clumsiness.

sihle lonzi Sihle Lonzi of the Economic Freedom Fighters. (Photo: Gallo Images / Papi Morake)



Sihle Lonzi (EFF) said the minister had to admit to her “wrongdoings”.

“I think the biggest mistake that the minister is making is not admitting when she’s at fault. It’s actually a demonstration of leadership and humility when you admit that you have made a mistake, because she can’t say the process was perfect…” Lonzi said if the process had been perfect, the minister would not have withdrawn the Seta board chairperson appointments that included “the son of Gwede [Mantashe] and ANC comrades”.

“If the process was perfect, she would have kept them there,” said Lonzi.

Lonzi said the mystery panel might contain ANC members. “The reason we want to know those people is that we want to establish whether one of the members in the independent panel is doing business with the Seta, but we won’t be able to know because there’s no transparency.

“It’s a secret, and the minister is refusing to tell us who is part of this independent advisory panel so that we can establish if these people are of an ethical standard and there’s no conflict of interest. So it’s shocking that she’s the only one who knows, but I can tell you now, it’s ANC comrades,” said Lonzi.

Read more:  EFF’s Sihle Lonzi evicted from Parliament after challenging Seta board appointments

Mnqobi Msezane (MK) said that they had the right to question the minister about the panel to find out about its credibility, and the minister should not have restarted the process if it had been perfect.

“It was very, very necessary for us to call for those people to be disclosed, and also we do not know their credibility, their qualifications, their experience, who they are… If the process was beyond reproach, as they were saying, and if the process was clear and fair and if it was transparent… I equally don’t believe that it should have been reversed.

“I believe that she should have come to the portfolio committee, stated what the concerns are of the public, and [stood] her ground,” said Msezane.

Nkabane told the committee that the only reason the process was being restarted was due to the public outcry. She said that after engaging with society and monitoring social media trends, she recognised that many people saw the recommended candidates as politically connected. By taking these concerns seriously, she chose to act responsibly and reconsider the appointments.

Nkabane said she would speak to the panel and see if they would be comfortable with giving their names to the board.

A fresh nomination process for Seta board chairs has now been scheduled for 12 June, as outlined in a recent Government Gazette signed by Nkabane. The minister said the decision had been made in the interests of good governance, transparency and accountability. DM

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