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‘We are not xenophobic': No justification to favour foreign academics over South Africans, says ANC MP
‘We are not xenophobic': No justification to favour foreign academics over South Africans, says ANC MP

The Citizen

time23-06-2025

  • Politics
  • The Citizen

‘We are not xenophobic': No justification to favour foreign academics over South Africans, says ANC MP

The Department of Higher Education's claim that it can't act against institutions has been criticised. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Tebogo Letsie, at the Good Hope Chamber in Cape Town on 23 June 2025. Picture: X / @ParliamentofRSA ANC MP Tebogo Letsie, chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on Higher Education, says there is no justification for universities to favour hiring foreign academics over equally qualified South Africans. His remarks followed a recent controversy involving the Central University of Technology (CUT) in the Free State. The university faced backlash after appointing a foreign internal employee as dean over a black South African woman who reportedly holds a doctorate. A video of Patriotic Alliance (PA) MP Ashley Sauls questioning CUT vice-chancellor Pamela Zibuyile Dube in parliament about the matter circulated widely on social media in April. Watch the video below: Parliament on recruitment of foreign academics Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, Letsie highlighted that the Employment Services Act required employers to ensure no suitable South African candidates are available before hiring foreign nationals. 'We place it on record that we are not xenophobic because there are others who are going to say we are xenophobic for saying our laws must be adhered to,' he said. He further emphasised that hiring foreign nationals should not undermine job opportunities for equally qualified South African citizens, as outlined in the Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa. 'So the excuse by the Department of Higher Education that there is nothing they can do when institutions hire beyond the 10% foreign, international talent [threshold] … is just a fallacy.' ALSO READ: Almost 90% of foreign government employees in health and education sectors, says DPSA Letsie also highlighted that the framework affirms it is in South Africa's best interest to appoint the most suitable candidates to academic positions at tertiary institutions, including qualified foreign nationals. 'We do need our international brothers and sisters, but it must not be a detriment to South Africans.' He further stated that, according to the policy, tertiary institutions in the country have no valid grounds to favour foreign nationals. 'There can be no justification for any South African institution prioritising and preferring foreign nationals to South Africans who qualify equally for the same post.' Referring to CUT, Letsie said: 'There was an equally—if not more—qualified South African lady… was not given the job, and the excuse that we got from the leadership of the institution was that they prioritised an internal person.' He argued that such reasoning should not be seen as a legitimate advantage. Watch the media briefing below: Higher Education department criticised Letsie further said the committee was concerned about the attitude of departmental officials and their failure to take accountability regarding the 'illegal' employment of foreign nationals. 'We can't have a department that is soft and fails to hold the universities accountable.' He added that if officials were unsure how to address the matter, perhaps it was time to 'gracefully resign'. READ MORE: Mashaba slams tertiary institutions for hiring foreign academics The Department of Higher Education, according to Letsie, informed the committee during a meeting on 18 June that it would be engaging with university councils on the issue. 'While the committee fully supports attracting and retaining international talent, it does not support those done outside of the national legislation and policies.' Seta board appointments Letsie also revealed that the committee plans to recall Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane to answer questions regarding the appointment of Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards. Nkabane had faced criticism for refusing to disclose the identities of the independent panel members who recommended chairpersons for the Seta boards. The controversy emerged after it was revealed that several appointees had ties to the ANC, including Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe's son Buyambo Mantashe, former KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and former ANC KZN deputy chairperson Mike Mabuyakhulu. Though the appointments were subsequently withdrawn, Nkabane came under fire in parliament for withholding the panel members' names. Under increasing pressure from MPs and President Cyril Ramaphosa, she finally released the list on 17 June, which included her advisors and departmental officials. READ MORE: 'Gum-chewing' minister goes viral, prompting conduct warning for South African MPs However, Advocate Terry Motau, cited as the panel's chairperson, denied involvement in the process. Letsie remarked that Motau's denial 'raised more questions' about the integrity of the appointment process. He said the committee has requested documentation from all panel members, including their correspondence with the minister, letters of acceptance, remuneration details, meeting minutes, and the final report that recommended the appointments. Letsie confirmed that Nkabane and the panel members have been invited to appear before the committee. 'We don't have a date yet because parliament is seized with a process of adopting the budget,' he said. 'We had identified a date which was this Friday, but because of the work of parliament, we could not get that particular date approved.'

Malatji: Nkabane ‘cowardly' for withdrawing ANC linked appointments as Seta board chairs
Malatji: Nkabane ‘cowardly' for withdrawing ANC linked appointments as Seta board chairs

Mail & Guardian

time18-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Mail & Guardian

Malatji: Nkabane ‘cowardly' for withdrawing ANC linked appointments as Seta board chairs

ANC Youth League President Collen Malatji (@ANCYLhq) 'If I were her, I would not have withdrawn those appointments of chairpersons. She has weakened herself and will never appoint anyone again. What she did is cowardly,' Malatji told the Mail & Guardian . He said cabinet ministers and deputy ministers considered to be part of the youth in the ANC should only fear him, as ANC youth league leader, and not opposition parties. 'They are my deployments, and the only person they must fear is me. They must consult me on everything. Luthuli House is open for them to come and we will defend them, because there is nothing wrong with deploying qualified people who are aligned with the ANC,' he said. Nkabane faced criticism in May over her appointment list, which included Buyambo Mantashe, the son of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister In parliament, Nkabane refused to give the names of members of the independent panel that selected the initial names she had appointed for the Seta positions. In a statement on Tuesday, Nkabane said she had disclosed a members panel for the selection and recommendation of Seta board chairs to the portfolio committee on higher education and training and was ready to account to the committee and to respond to further requests for information. In a separate statement, also on Tuesday, the chairperson of the committee, Tebogo Letsie, welcomed the submission of a letter containing the names of panel members appointed to oversee the selection and recommendation of board chairpersons for the Seta boards. The panel members are Terry Motau (chairperson), Asisipho Solani, Nelisiwe Semane, Mabuza Ngubane and Rhulani Ngwenya. The committee said that it had consistently held the view that Nkabane was constitutionally obligated to disclose the names of the panel members to parliament. 'We are pleased that sanity has prevailed, and that the minister has now complied with this requirement. The committee believes this disclosure should have occurred from the outset,' said Letsie. 'We are dealing with public institutions funded through parliamentary appropriations. It was therefore baffling that the committee had to strongly remind the minister of such a basic accountability requirement in our democratic governance system.' During a meeting of the higher education committee last month, Malatji told the M&G that he would never have withdrawn the appointments, asserting that opposition parties have created a false narrative that anyone associated with the ANC is corrupt. 'The ANC contests elections to control power, and every party wants control. This is why parties, including the 'I will never withdraw appointments. You make a decision as a leader, and you stick by it. Why is she apologising for powers given to her? Those people meet the criteria; they are qualified and everything. Anyway, the most educated people are in the ANC, not the DA or EFF.' Malatji said he considered Buyambo Mantashe as having an unfair advantage and would never have considered him for the post. 'Mantashe's child is something else. I was never going to appoint Mantashe's child because he is a minister — not that he is not qualified or not a comrade, but morally wrong,' he said. 'Unfortunately, when your father is a minister or president, you lose certain privileges in life. You can't compete with a child of a president; it is an unfair competition.' On calls for Nkabane to be removed from her position, Malatji said she was a good and qualified minister who had been caught off guard. 'She is good for the sector and is also learning higher education needs a person like her,' he said. 'She is not doing badly; just a few things, small things, and over time, she does not consult the youth league, which gets her into trouble.'

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