Latest news with #Nobuhle Nkabane
Mail & Guardian
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
‘Arrogance led to her fall': Political parties react to Nkabane's axing
Fomer minister of higher education Nobuhle Nkabane. (@Dr_NohbuleN/X) Opposition parties have welcomed the dismissal of President 'President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from the role of minister and higher education and training and has, in terms of section 91 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, appointed Mr Buti Kgwaridi Manamela minister of higher education and training,' the presidency said in a statement. Nkabane's axing comes two days before parliament is due to vote on the national budget, including allocations for the department of higher education, which the The DA said her removal was a 'stunning blow against ANC cadre corruption' and signalled it would now support the higher education department's budget vote. 'Seeing one ANC minister depart cabinet under storming clouds of lies, deceit, cadre deployment corruption and a Hawks investigation is a first step to restoring our faith that the GNU will not tolerate corruption,' DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau said. 'Our demand to President Ramaphosa was for him to take action against the seriously compromised, corrupt and nefarious in the ANC, and the firing of Nkabane is the first step for him.' The DA had submitted evidence to parliament showing that Nkabane had issued letters terminating the contracts of board members at 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities and appointed people allegedly aligned to the ANC, including the son of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe. The party accused Nkabane of undermining governance processes and misrepresenting facts to parliament. The Inkatha Freedom Party's (IFP's) higher education portfolio committee member, Sanele Zondo, said Nkabane had brought the axe upon herself because of her arrogance and her disregard for parliamentary processes. 'She was supposed to be disciplined. She was expected to know what to do, when to do it, and how to respond appropriately to a proper commitment. But when we asked her about the processes and procedures, she refused to cooperate,' Zondo said. 'She was arrogant and unwilling to respond publicly, even though this is a matter of public interest, she brought the axe to her head and as the IFP we welcome this decision by the president. She had been invited to explain serious governance irregularities but chose not to appear. That shows contempt for parliament's oversight role. We believe her removal is justified and overdue.' Last week Nkabane failed to attend a scheduled meeting of the portfolio committee, where she was expected to respond to MPs' questions about the Seta board dismissals. Her absence prompted frustration across party lines, including from ANC committee members, with the chairperson, Nompendulo Mkhatshwa, confirming that the minister had failed to offer adequate reasons for her non-attendance. 'The committee is gravely concerned about the minister's failure to engage with the committee on matters of public interest and governance. Her absence has obstructed the committee's ability to exercise its oversight duties,' Mkhatshwa said during the meeting. ActionSA MP Malebo Kobe and the party's head of students, Thabo Malosi, also welcomed Nkabane's firing, calling her tenure a failure marked by neglect, a huge housing backlog for tertiary students, the dysfunction of the They criticised the appointment of Manamela as a missed chance for real change and urged bold reforms such as merging South Africa's education departments, expanding NSFAS, converting illegally occupied city buildings into student housing and replacing Setas with an 'opportunity' fund. Ramaphosa's decision to remove Nkabane comes at a politically sensitive time, with the government of national unity facing another major hurdle in parliament — the Appropriation Bill vote, which requires majority support for it to pass. The Appropriation Bill, which authorises government spending, cannot be passed unless the National Assembly approves all 42 departmental allocations ('votes') listed in schedule 1 of the Bill, said senior parliamentary legal adviser Frank Stander Jenkins. The DA, which had vowed not to vote for Nkabane's departmental budget because of her conduct in parliament, threatened the Appropriation Bill's process. Should the Bill be rejected, the country could face another budget impasse similar to earlier this year, when the DA led opposition to the treasury's attempts to increase VAT sparked last-minute budget changes and political stand-offs. The budget finally passed after Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana caved and scrapped the VAT increase.
The Herald
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Nkabane removed as higher education minister, replaced by Buti Manamela
President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Buti Manamela as minister of higher education and training. Manamela will replace Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, who issued a statement thanking Ramaphosa for entrusting her with the responsibility of serving as a minister. Manamela had served as deputy minister of higher education and training, a role he held from the seventh administration. 'Consequently, President Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, deputy minister of higher education and training,' the presidency said in a statement. The presidency said Dube's long government leadership experience included serving as MEC for co-operative government and traditional affairs and premier of KwaZulu-Natal. 'Section 93 (b) (of the constitution) empowers the president to appoint no more than two deputy ministers from outside the [National] Assembly.' The Sunday Times reported that Nkabane was facing the chop after being accused of lying to parliament about the appointment of the controversial panel to appoint sector education and training authorities (Seta) boards. The Sunday Times has previously reported Ramaphosa and the ANC's top officials had resolved she had compromised the party and her position in the cabinet. After her removal on Monday, Nkabane said: 'It has been a privilege to lead this important portfolio and I am grateful to the sector and the people of South Africa for their support and for allowing me to serve in this capacity.' TimesLIVE
