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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has today written to the Chair of Chairs, Cedrick Frolick, to investigate why the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, Tebogo Letsie, is not acting with urgency in holding Minister Buti Manamela to account.

Yesterday, the DA called for Manamela, the National Skills Authority (NSA) and Oupa Nkoane to appear before Parliament regarding the Minister’s appointment of ANC cadres implicated in fraud and corruption as SETA administrators. In his reply, Chairperson Letsie dismissed our request on the grounds that it was “premature.”

It now appears, however, that the delay in summoning the Minister may be linked to reports that he is preparing to revoke these scandalous cadre appointments and replace them with new names. A tip-off received by the DA suggests that Advocate Mojanku Gumbi may be appointed for LGSETA, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC for CETA, and Professor Mary Metcalfe for the Services SETA. We also understand that the Young Communist League is preparing to welcome a change in these administrators.

This sequence of events creates the impression that parliamentary oversight processes are being slowed down to give Minister Manamela time to quietly undo his reckless cadre deployment scandal before facing scrutiny. If true, this would fundamentally undermine the role of Parliament as an institution of accountability.

Even if the Minister does revoke the appointments, he cannot escape explaining why he initially appointed individuals implicated in corruption, and why it required exposure for him to consider corrective action.

The DA will not allow ANC cadres and their allies to treat SETAs as cash cows while unemployed South Africans are robbed of skills development opportunities. We demand that Minister Manamela be called before Parliament without further delay, and that Cedrick Frolick ensures that proper accountability takes place.

Issued by Karabo Khakhau MP - DA National Spokesperson and Member of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training