Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has moved to clarify the process surrounding his controversial appointment of administrators to three troubled Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), following growing concerns from Parliament and sector stakeholders.

The minister’s clarification, issued in a formal media statement on Friday night, sought to address these concerns directly.

“Our priority is to stabilise governance in these SETAs, protect public funds and strengthen confidence in the skills development system. By involving the Public Service Commission (PSC) in this process, we are adding an extra layer of integrity to ensure that the focus remains on delivering skills for South Africa’s youth and workers,” Manamela said.

Earlier this week, Manamela placed the Services SETA, the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) and the Local Government SETA under administration.

Acting in terms of Section 15(1) of the Skills Development Act, the minister dissolved appointed administrators to take over leadership functions, citing the need to restore governance and accountability in the bodies responsible for managing billions in public funds earmarked for skills training.

Since then, questions have mounted over whether the appointments were appropriate and whether the process followed the necessary standards of transparency and accountability.

Manamela emphasised that due process had been followed before confirming any of the appointments.

He detailed three critical steps in the vetting process: identifying candidates with the required qualifications and experience; conducting due diligence, including reviewing public allegations and controversies linked to candidates; and giving candidates the opportunity to respond to these issues directly.

The minister said that only after the department was satisfied that the appointees could carry out the mandate of stabilising the SETAs, were the appointments confirmed. This demonstrated that the process was not arbitrary and that scrutiny of the administrators’ past records had been factored into decision-making.

Acknowledging ongoing public scepticism, Manamela announced an additional safeguard. The PSC will now conduct independent fit-and-proper assessments and conflict of interest vetting of all three appointees.

The PSC is a constitutional body mandated to promote fair, professional and accountable public administration.

According to the minister, all three administrators have agreed to subject themselves to the PSC’s scrutiny and to accept the outcomes of the process.

Beyond the vetting process, Manamela also outlined immediate performance expectations for the new administrators.

Each of the three SETAs under administration has been directed to publish a 90-day stabilisation plan.

These plans must include clear, measurable indicators and will serve as roadmaps for restoring governance stability, addressing financial risks and ensuring accountability.

Importantly, these stabilisation plans will not be confined to internal reporting.

The minister has instructed that they be made available to Parliament, stakeholders and the public for monitoring.

This, he said, would allow for full transparency around progress and create an additional layer of oversight over how the SETAs were managed during the administration period.

Manamela framed these measures as part of a broader effort to restore confidence in the country’s skills development system.

The Democratic Alliance has welcomed Manamela’s decision to hand over his controversial appointments to the PSC for investigation, but insisted that Parliament must still urgently hold him accountable.

DA spokesperson Karabo Khakhau described Manamela’s referral of the issue to the PSC as “a huge admission of scandal”, adding that the DA would submit terms of reference to the PSC to ensure its investigation was not narrowly confined.

“Manamela has handed over his own appointees to the Public Service Commission as the public scrutiny has heightened and pressure on him is mounting. Manamela is making a huge admission of scandal, by bringing in the Public Service Commission,” Khakhau said.

The party is calling for the probe to include possible party-political links, cadre deployment practices and findings from past forensic reports into SETA mismanagement.

Over the years, the SETAs have been plagued by repeated scandals involving procurement irregularities, maladministration and wasteful expenditure.

The minister expressed his trust that these steps would address public concerns, reinforce oversight and ensure that SETAs were able to deliver effectively on their critical mandate.

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The Democratic Alliance has escalated its call for urgent parliamentary oversight of Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela, accusing the African National Congress of shielding him from scrutiny over his appointment of administrators to three Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

On Friday, DA national spokesperson and member of the Higher Education and Training Portfolio Committee, Karabo Khakhau, confirmed that she had formally written to Cedrick Frolick, the Chair of Chairs in the National Assembly, requesting his intervention.

“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,” Khakhau said.

The move comes after committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie rejected the DA’s request to summon Manamela, calling it “premature”.

Earlier this week, Manamela gazetted the appointment of three administrators to take charge of the Construction SETA (CETA), Services SETA (SSETA) and Local Government SETA (LGSETA).

The appointees are Oupa Nkoane, a former municipal manager at Emfuleni, Lehlohonolo Masoga, a former ANC Limpopo MEC and deputy speaker, and Zukile Mvalo, the current deputy director-general for skills development in the department.

Manamela justified the move by citing chronic governance failures, procurement irregularities and leadership instability across the SETAs.

Section 15 of the Skills Development Act allows the minister to dissolve a SETA board and appoint an administrator after consulting the National Skills Authority.

But the DA says the chosen administrators themselves carry baggage of corruption and maladministration.

In its letter, the DA argues that these appointments cannot be justified as corrective measures.

Adding to the controversy, it was reported that Nkoane himself claimed he had not been informed of his appointment as CETA administrator, despite the minister publishing the appointments in the Government Gazette.

If true, Khakhau warned this would constitute maladministration and possibly an unlawful appointment.

A tip-off received by the party alleges that advocate Mojanku Gumbi could be appointed to LGSETA, senior counsel Tembeka Ngcukaitobi to CETA, and academic Mary Metcalfe to SSETA.

While none of these names has been confirmed, Khakhau warned that even if replacements were made, Manamela could not escape explaining why he initially appointed figures with tainted records.

Letsie defended his decision not to immediately summon the minister, noting that he had already written to Manamela requesting written reasons for the intervention.

He argued that the committee’s packed third-term schedule did not allow for an additional briefing before the minister’s response was received.

“I have also written to the minister on 19 August 2025, to request detailed reasons in placing the three SETAs under administration. It will be premature to schedule the requested briefing before the minister has responded to the committee. The third term also comprises three weeks and one week is already taken by the committee’s strategic planning workshop and the remaining two weeks have agenda items,” Letsie replied.

Khakhau, however, countered that Rule 138(2) of the National Assembly empowered committees to summon any person at any time, regardless of whether prior correspondence has been exchanged.

She further pointed out that committee agendas in the past have been adjusted or extended to accommodate urgent issues of oversight.

The DA insists that the scandal touches the heart of South Africa’s fight against unemployment, as SETAs are tasked with bridging the skills gap and providing training opportunities for millions of jobless citizens.

Meanwhile, News24 reported on Friday that LGSETA CEO Ineeleng Molete has given Manamela until Monday to reverse his decision or face urgent court action.

The CEO has rejected the minister’s claims of governance failures as “generalised” and “defamatory”, arguing that the authority has improved measurably under his leadership since January 2021.  

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are turning up the heat on Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela over appointment of three administrators to lead embattled Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

They say the move reeks of cadre deployment and warn that the appointments risk entrenching corruption and maladministration in institutions already crippled by governance failures.

DA MP and national spokesperson Karabo Khakhau has lodged a formal request with the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Higher Education and Training Portfolio Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie, demanding that Manamela be summoned to explain the appointments in the committee’s first sitting of the third quarter.

“Manamela’s appointment of ANC cadres implicated in forensic reports detailing fraud, corruption and mismanagement of public funds is a new national scandal. We cannot have another minister appointing unfit ANC cadres to run SETAs by their own rules,” Khakhau said on Thursday.

This follows the recent appointment of Oupa Nkoane, Lehlohonolo Masoga and Zukile Mvalo as administrators of the Construction SETA, the Services SETA, and the Local Government SETA respectively.

The minister justified the intervention as necessary to address serious and entrenched governance failures in these entities, including procurement irregularities, lapses in oversight and broad instability.

However, both the DA and the EFF argue that these individuals carry their own baggage of corruption allegations and failed governance records, raising the risk that the cure may be worse than the disease.

Khakhau singled out Nkoane, a former municipal manager at Emfuleni Local Municipality, for special scrutiny.

Nkoane was cited in a forensic report implicating municipal officials in the mismanagement of R872 million.

The DA raised red flags about Masoga, a former ANC Limpopo MEC and deputy speaker, accused in a forensic probe of allegedly backdating a R4.4 million communications contract while CEO of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone.

As for Mvalo, the current deputy director-general overseeing skills development in the department, the DA said his eight-year oversight of all 21 SETAs has failed to produce any meaningful stabilisation.

“The minister claims these appointments will fix procurement irregularities and governance crises, but how can fraud and mismanagement be corrected by those implicated in it?” Khakhau asked.

The EFF has also gone on the offensive, writing directly to Manamela to question the legality of his interventions.

In a strongly worded letter, EFF MP Sihle Lonzi reminded the minister that previous political interference in SETA appointments, including the aborted process under his predecessor Nobuhle Nkabane, led to a collapse of trust in the system.

Lonzi warned that appointing sole administrators rather than duly constituted boards stripped SETAs of essential oversight safeguards.

“Boards ensure diversity of expertise, collective accountability, and robust checks and balances. Extended administration by a sole individual undermines transparency and weakens internal controls,” he wrote.

The EFF also raised the issue of compliance with the Skills Development Act, which sets out clear procedural requirements before SETAs can be placed under administration.

These include issuing formal written instructions to the affected SETAs, consultations with both the SETA boards and the National Skills Authority, and the use of Section 15(4) exceptions only in exceptional circumstances of financial mismanagement.

Lonzi demanded clarity on whether these steps had been followed or bypassed.

He cautioned that any failure to comply with Sections 14A and 15, or any decision that is not rational, necessary and proportionate, risked being reviewable as unlawful, invoking the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act.

Both parties insist that SETAs, which are crucial for addressing South Africa’s skills gap and youth unemployment crisis, require leaders with clean records and independence from party-political networks.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has raised alarm over what it describes as “exorbitant and unjustified” board remuneration within the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA).

It has again accused the African National Congress (ANC) of turning Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) into cadre deployment hubs at the expense of struggling students and unemployed graduates.

“We have discovered that some SETA boards are being paid millions of rents while young graduates are struggling to find jobs and many students are forced to abandon their studies due to failures.

“Our call is simple. We must put students first, not politically connected individuals. If SETAs are allowed to become deployment schemes, then it is young South Africans who will continue to suffer,” DA MP and higher education spokesperson Matlhodi Maseko said on Wednesday.

According to figures revealed through a DA parliamentary question, merSETA board members collectively received R6.29 million in the 2023/24 financial year, in addition to R924,000 paid to the chairperson alone.

This brings total board-related remuneration for that year to R7.2 million, making it one of the most expensive SETA boards in the country.

The 2024/25 remuneration for the chairperson is R667,000.

Maseko pointed out that Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s son was allegedly earmarked for deployment to the board, a move the DA claimed to have blocked through public pressure and exposure.

The DA is now demanding a full audit by the Auditor-General into SETA board remuneration and performance, warning that several boards were being used to reward loyalty rather than competence.

The party also intends to push for the disclosure of the political affiliations of all board members and will pursue forensic investigations where necessary.

The DA compared merSETA’s figures to other SETAs, highlighting drastic discrepancies.

Services SETA paid its chairperson R1.27 million and board members R5.57 million in 2023/24; and the Wholesale and Retail SETA spent R3.99 million on board members and R351,000 on its chairperson.

Media, Information and Communications Technologies SETA paid R3.58 million to its board and R625,000 to the chairperson, while the Financial and Accounting Sector Education and Training Authority allocated R3.31 million to board members and R566,004 to its chairperson.

Remuneration structures include meeting allowances, preparation fees, travel claims, mobile data and tablet stipends, and membership to professional organisations like the Institute of Directors of South Africa.

Payments are determined by SETA-specific policies and National Treasury guidelines, but Maseko argues this framework is being abused.

The controversy comes amid a deepening governance vacuum at merSETA.

The board’s term expired in March this year, and despite reopening the nominations process in May, the Higher Education and Training Department has yet to appoint a new Accounting Authority.

In the interim, the department has controversially instructed SETA CEOs to act as governance structures.

At merSETA, this presents a major conflict, as the CEO position is also currently held in an acting capacity, compounding the leadership crisis.

The plastics manufacturing industry, among other sectors, has raised concerns over this arrangement, citing fears over ethical leadership, accountability and the risk of unchecked decision-making.

The DA has pledged to continue exposing cadre deployment in SETAs and ensuring that the post-school education and training system serves learners, not political elites.

In Parliament, the DA will push for urgent reforms to appointment processes, strengthened vetting procedures and transparency in the financial and political interests of all board members.

The DA is also calling on newly appointed Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela to distance himself from the ANC’s legacy of cadre deployment and to prioritise clean governance and student-centred leadership in his new portfolio.

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African National Congress secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has outlined progress made in the country’s post-school education sector, while dismissing various accusations made by the Democratic Alliance’s against Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.

They relate to the appointment of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) board chairs.

During a briefing at Luthuli House on Monday, Mbalula sought to reframe the debate around Nkabane’s conduct, situating it within a broader ANC agenda of education reform, party renewal and transparency.

“We are encouraged by gains in higher education, including expanding access to universities and TVET colleges, record numbers of graduates. However, we do not turn a blind eye to persistent challenges, including administrative inefficiencies, infrastructure taps and governance failures in some institutions,” Mbalula said.

Mbalula began the briefing by celebrating achievements in higher education under the ANC government.

He highlighted record graduation rates, growing access to universities and TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) colleges, and the University of Johannesburg’s inclusion in the top 500 global rankings.

He reiterated the ANC’s support for increased funding allocations to historically disadvantaged universities, such as Unisa, Fort Hare and the University of Limpopo.

He also called for stabilising National Student Financial Aid Scheme disbursements and strengthening infrastructure within the TVET college system.

Addressing the controversy involving the SETA board appointments, Mbalula defended Nkabane’s decision to convene an advisory panel, although it was not legally required under the Skills Development Act of 1997-98.

The Act empowered the minister to appoint board members, including chairpersons, in consultation with the National Skills Authority.

Mbalula explained that while senior counsel Terry Motau was approached to chair the advisory panel, his appointment was never finalised.

Nevertheless, his name was mistakenly included in documents submitted to Parliament.

“Importantly, the minister made it clear to Parliament that Advocate Motau did not attend any meetings. This proves there was no attempt to deceive. Once the error was discovered, minister Nkabane took full responsibility and apologised both to Advocate Motau and Parliament,” Mbalula argued.

The minister has since withdrawn the entire list of SETA board chairpersons and restarted the appointment process, inviting broader participation from civil society, business, students and labour.

Mbalula launched a scathing attack on the DA, accusing the party of exploiting the SETA issue for political gain while ignoring more pressing issues affecting their constituencies.

“We reject, in the strongest terms, the Democratic Alliance’s opportunistic laying of criminal charges against the Minister. This is not about truth – it is about performance. While gang violence and systemic inequality devastate communities in the Western Cape, the DA misdirects police resources toward a political vendetta,” Mbalula said.

He emphasised that no law had been broken and that accountability had already been demonstrated through the minister’s apology and her corrective action.

The DA swiftly hit back through its national spokesperson and Member of Parliament on the Higher Education Committee, Karabo Khakhau.

In a series of statements and social media posts, Khakhau accused the ANC of covering up fraud and misconduct.

“Fikile Mbalula, your attempt to protect Nkabane for lying and breaking the law smells like exactly what you did with Zuma’s Nkandla. The people of RSA are not dumb. We see right through you and the ANC,” Khakhau posted on X.

In an official statement, the DA declared it was “astounded” by the ANC’s “full and unconditional backing of lying minister Nkabane”.

The party accused her of orchestrating a “scheme of deception to conceal cadre deployment corruption”, alleging that ANC-connected individuals benefited from high-paying SETA board appointments, including relatives of senior ANC leaders.

“The ANC again defends the indefensible, this is a profound moment. It has shades of Nkandla all over again,” Khakhau said.

Khakhau confirmed that the DA’s criminal complaint against Nkabane was now under investigation by the Hawks, who was reportedly probing allegations of fraud and violations of statutory provisions related to misleading Parliament.

The DA alleges that Nkabane misrepresented the role of Motau in a scheme designed to facilitate the appointment of ANC loyalists, some of whom were closely linked to senior party figures including former ministers and provincial coordinators.

“President Ramaphosa remains idle while his ministers face serious allegations of corruption and deception. Why won’t he act against Nkabane, Simelane and others implicated in wrongdoing?” Khakhau charged.

The DA said it would continue working with the Hawks to ensure full transparency and justice, pledging further updates as the investigation unfolded.

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Parliament’s debate on the Higher Education and Training budget debate erupted into a spirited and combative session on Thursday, as political parties traded sharp critiques and passionate defences over Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s R142.4 billion allocation for the 2025/26 financial year.

While the ANC and its allies framed the budget as a tool for transformation and inclusion, opposition parties from across the political spectrum lambasted the department’s leadership, dysfunction in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and persistent exclusion of underprivileged students.

ANC MP and Higher Education Portfolio Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie endorsed the budget, calling it a “powerful instrument for social transformation” and grounding it in the legacy of the Freedom Charter.

He praised growth in enrolment figures, including a projected 56,100 new university students and plans to fund 300,000 TVET students over five years.

Letsie acknowledged funding delays and the defunding of some students, but insisted that Parliamentary oversight would ensure accountability.

“We are not blind to the challenges. But rejecting this budget means rejecting NSFAS, student accommodation and transformation itself,” he warned.

DA MPs Matlhodi Maseko and Karabo Khakhau delivered fierce denunciations of Nkabane’s leadership.

Maseko accused her of misleading Parliament over the Sector Education and Training Authorities appointment panel and failing to fix the “disastrous” NSFAS.

“What kind of minister punishes students for her own failures?” Maseko asked.

Khakhau called on Nkabane to resign, accusing her of fraud and turning a blind eye to corruption.

“Serve the people. Be honest. Resign,” she declared.

Both MPs rejected the budget, citing collapsing infrastructure, administrative chaos and misplaced priorities.

The EFF also rejected the budget, with MP Sihle Lonzi calling NSFAS “corrupt” and demanding that fintech intermediaries be removed from the payment system.

The party proposed seven reforms, including insourcing academic workers, elevating TVET status and introducing an unemployed graduate grant.

“Minister, you must choose: are you with the students or the corrupt?” Lonzi challenged.

MK Party MPs Mnqobi Msezane and Joel Ngubane denounced the budget as a betrayal.

Msezane accused the department of ignoring student debt and called for dismantling NSFAS and the National Skills Fund.

Ngubane linked the death of Walter Sisulu University student Sisonga Mbolekwa to poor living conditions and demanded accountability.

“The government that did this killing now pretends to honour the victim,” Ngubane said, urging Nkabane to visit Mbolekwa’s family.

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Sanele Zondo gave conditional support for the budget, urging urgent reforms.

Zondo pointed to delayed infrastructure projects, poor SETA governance, and NSFAS failures, but affirmed the IFP’s willingness to work towards accountability and delivery.

“We support this budget, but we demand visible change,” he stated.

ActionSA MP Malebo Kobe rejected the budget, accusing the department of creating a “bureaucracy of despair”.

She condemned the 500,000 bed housing backlog, NSFAS failures and mismanagement of SETAs.

Kobe proposed reforms including a R500,000 NSFAS income threshold, student housing from hijacked buildings and scrapping fintech payment platforms.

“Our ‘no’ is for students sleeping in libraries and toilets,” she said.

PA MP Ashley Sauls supported the budget while criticising racial marginalisation in hiring and governance at universities and TVET colleges.

He called for inclusive targets in procurement and academic appointments, naming several individuals allegedly excluded on racial grounds.

“Honourable Minister, I know you are not stupid. Salute,” he ended.

Responding to the deluge of criticism, Nkabane defended the department’s reforms, particularly at NSFAS.

She denied that 27,000 students would be defunded, stating that the R11 billion funding gap had been closed and that the Treasury was finalising the support.

“No one is going to be defunded. I want to assure you, people of South Africa,” she said.

Ignoring personal attacks, she vowed to stay focused on delivery.

“I’m going to focus on the task at hand, serving the people of South Africa.”

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Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has confirmed that she will be submitting a formal affidavit to Parliament’s Ethics Committee regarding the controversial Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) board chairperson appointment process.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of her department’s budget vote breakfast event with National Skills Fund (NSF) beneficiaries at Northlink College in Bellville, Cape Town on Wednesday, Nkabane said she had formally responded to a request from the Ethics Committee.

“I received documentation from ethics and I’m submitting my affidavit today. So, the process now is handled by ethics, and I don’t know whether the Higher Education Committee is still going to consider it,” she confirmed.

The submission follows mounting political pressure and allegations that she misled Parliament on the independence of the selection panel.

Last month Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education chairperson Tebogo Letsie requested clarification on Nkabane’s previous use of the term “independent panel.”

According to Nkabane, she provided a written response last week.

“The context of what I meant by ‘independent’ is that the panel members had no personal interest or benefit in the appointment process, were experts in their respective fields and acted professionally. Criticism is valid and welcome if it helps us improve systems. We learn as we grow,” she explained.

On Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance laid criminal charges against Nkabane, accusing her of misleading Parliament and constituting fraud.

When asked for her reaction, Nkabane said she would allow the legal processes to unfold.

“I’m going to comply with the rule of law. I have nothing further to say at this stage,” she responded.

The controversy stems from the botched appointment SETA board chairs, which Nkabane herself has admitted to nullifying due to procedural flaws.

“The process, I personally voluntarily nullified because I could see that there were some challenges that I needed to rectify,” she said, adding that the nominations process was reopened and was currently under review.

Student groups such as the South African Students Congress have called for Nkabane’s removal, citing poor handling of both the NSFAS board and SETA appointments.

Amid these mounting political and public pressures, the opposition parties have escalated their criticism.

The DA rejected her budget vote in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), citing mismanagement and accountability concerns.

“They did not boycott; they debated the budget vote but then rejected it. That’s a disservice to the people of South Africa. If they claim there are gaps in the education system, how do we address them without the budget?” she asked.

With the National Assembly set to debate and vote on the Higher Education and Training budget this Thursday, Nkabane remains defiant.

Asked whether she believes efforts to link her case with that of Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane were politically motivated, Nkabane deferred to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“It is the president’s prerogative to appoint or redeploy ministers. I won’t entertain that,” she said.

Nkabane said she remained focused on her role as minister and would continue to do so, until notified by the president to vacate her office, as was his authority to do so.

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As South Africa commemorated Youth Day this week, President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating meaningful work and learning opportunities for young people, a demographic most affected by unemployment.

In his weekly newsletter to the nation, Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that country must live up to the democratic ideals that generations of youth, including those of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, fought and died for.

“If we are to live up to the democratic promise for which so many sacrificed and gave their lives, we have to ensure that we invest in today’s generation of young people and unleash their potential,” the president said.

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world, with more than 60% of people aged between 15 and 24 not in employment, education, or training.

To combat this, the government has rolled out several youth-focused programmes since 2020.

Chief among these is the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), which has created over two million jobs and livelihood opportunities since its inception.

According to Ramaphosa, 72% of those who have benefited from the stimulus are young people, while 66% are women.

Another flagship initiative is SAYouth.mobi, a free, data-zero-rated online recruitment platform that connects young people to work, learning, and training opportunities.

Over 4.7 million young South Africans have registered on the platform, and more than 1.6 million earning opportunities have been facilitated through it.

“Last week in the City of Tshwane, I met with a number of young people who told me excitedly they had been approached by potential employers who had seen their profiles on SAYouth.mobi,” Ramaphosa said.

He urged more young job seekers to make use of the platform and called on private sector employers to post opportunities there.

“Registration is free and the app is zero rated, meaning you can access the site and its contents without incurring any data charges,” he added.

Addressing a common barrier to youth employment, namely the lack of work experience, Ramaphosa noted that in 2019, the government abolished work experience requirements for entry-level public sector jobs.

Additionally, the Youth Employment Service, which was a private sector-led initiative, has placed thousands of young South Africans in various sectors to gain crucial workplace experience.

However, Ramaphosa emphasised that job placements alone were not enough.

“We must bolster skills development and foster an entrepreneurial culture. It is critical that we overcome the mismatch between the skills available in the workforce and market need,” he said.

To that end, the government was investing in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, expanding subsidies and building new campuses.

Thousands of TVET students and graduates were now being placed in structured workplace learning programmes annually.

He also reiterated that entrepreneurship could be a key driver of economic growth and youth employment, however, South Africa’s entrepreneurial activity lagged behind that of comparable nations.

In response, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was working closely with the National Youth Development Agency and the Small Business Development Department to provide both financial and non-financial support to young entrepreneurs.

“Through all of these initiatives, the state has supported millions of young South Africans with work opportunities, work experience and skills development. However, we can only vastly scale up youth employment with greater private sector involvement,” Ramaphosa said.

The president urged businesses to make use of the Employee Tax Incentive and other tools to hire young workers and collaborate with the government to expand pathways to employment.

“South Africa’s young people deserve to lead lives of dignity. Unemployment is robbing far too many youth of this right. Let us do all within our means to empower them to find jobs and create their own opportunities,” he said.

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While President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged recent failings regarding the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chair appointments, the Economic Freedom Fighters has lodged a complaint against what it describes as an abuse of power.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African National Congress’s Northern provincial executive committee induction programme in Kimberley, Ramaphosa addressed the backlash over the controversial appointments made by the Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane.

“Well, there was a problem, an issue which the minister is trying to correct now. And I think it’s important to realise that where, for instance, as the public sector, mistakes are made, immediately we are able to listen to the criticism, the voices of those in the community, and immediately take corrective measures,” Ramaphosa told reporters.

Nkabane withdrew the appointments and announced a new process, amid growing concerns about political interference and procedural irregularities.

“We should also be grateful that we have a government that listens, where it has made mistakes. Mistakes are made, and the important thing is to listen and to correct,” Ramaphosa added.

The president’s comments follow the EFF lodging a formal complaint on Friday over how this issue was handled within a key parliamentary oversight structure.

The EFF escalated its concerns around the SETA appointments by filing an official complaint with Parliament’s Chairperson of Committees, Cedrick Frolick.

The complaint centres on the conduct of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training chairperson (and ANC member) Tebogo Letsie, whom the EFF accuses of silencing valid concerns raised by its MP Sihle Lonzi.

In a letter signed by EFF national chairperson and chief whip, Nontando Nolutshungu, the party describes how during a committee meeting Lonzi attempted to interrogate the legitimacy of the SETA board appointments, flagging issues of nepotism, political bias and procedural violations.

It said rather than engaging the concerns, the committee chair allegedly cut Lonzi off, curtailed his speaking time and attempted to shield the department from scrutiny.

“This conduct was not only irregular, but it also violated the basic tenets of fair and impartial chairing,” Nolutshungu stated, citing Rule 184 of the National Assembly, which guarantees MPs the right to speak and hold the executive accountable.

The EFF also alleges a pattern of behaviour from the chairperson, including using committee platforms for lengthy monologues and responding to dissent with threats of removal, an approach the party says undermines the constitutional function of parliamentary oversight.

The party has requested three corrective actions, including a formal investigation into Letsie’s behaviour, guidance to all parliamentary committee chairs on maintaining impartiality and upholding rules of order, and a written reminder to the implicated chairperson about the responsibilities outlined in Rule 184.

Nolutshungu warned that continued misconduct would prompt the EFF to escalate the matter to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Rules Committee for a formal inquiry.

“We make this submission not to stifle debate, but to protect the very right to it,” the letter emphasised.

Earlier this week, the ANC study group on higher education’s whip Tshepho Louw came to Letsie’s defence, accusing Lonzi of arriving late at the committee meeting and attempting to raise issues that were not part of the agenda.

The SETAs are central to the country’s skills development agenda, tasked with training and upskilling the workforce in key economic sectors, with their boards wielding significant influence over programme funding and national skills strategies.

The controversy over board appointments has reignited long-standing concerns about political patronage and transparency within the Post-School Education Sector and cast a renewed focus on the independence of legislative oversight and the growing tension between executive power and parliamentary scrutiny.

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Political parties and trade unions have welcomed Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s withdrawal of the controversial appointments of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairpersons, following mounting public criticism.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which was one of most vocal critics of the appointments, labelled them as “corrupt” and a product of nepotism and political patronage.

“We emphasise that appointments based on political favouritism are inherently corrupt. They deny capable South Africans an opportunity to serve, undermine the credibility of our public institutions, and produce governance structures that are incapable of delivering on their mandate,” the party stated.

Among those appointed were Buyambo Mantashe, the son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, and a personal advisor from the same ministry.

The party claimed that the appointments reflected the ANC’s entrenched culture of rewarding political loyalty rather than merit.

The EFF has called for a full independent audit and forensic review of all SETA board appointments, past and present.

It insists the minister must also seek a court order to formally nullify the appointments, citing the constitutional principle that public officials cannot act outside legal processes.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) similarly condemned both the initial appointments and their subsequent withdrawal, calling the process corrupt and politically motivated.

It criticised the appointments as an extension of ANC’s cadre deployment, highlighting figures like Buyambo Mantashe and other ANC loyalists, while accusing Nkabane of backtracking only after public backlash, not out of ethical responsibility.

The MKP emphasised the need for transparency, merit and expertise in SETA leadership, and vowed to monitor future appointments to prevent political patronage from undermining institutions meant to empower South Africa’s youth.

The Democratic Alliance’s Karabo Khakhau welcomed the withdrawal of the appointees, including Mantashe and several KwaZulu-Natal ANC figures.

Khakhau described the withdrawal as a “step in the right direction” and a rejection of the ANC’s attempts to use SETA boards as patronage networks.

“We are pleased that the minister has finally come to her senses and recognised that SETA boards cannot and must not be treated as extensions of ANC patronage networks,” she said.

According to Khakhau, SETAs were vital to South Africa’s economic future and youth empowerment. They should be governed by skilled, apolitical professionals and not used to reward political loyalty.

She emphasised that future appointments must be based on merit, relevant experience and a genuine commitment to public service.

The SA Federation of Trade Unions warned that the appointments were part of a broader patronage network that has eroded the governance and integrity of SETAs over more than a decade.

“We regard this as a direct response to public outrage, trade union mobilisation and sustained media exposure of a process tainted by political patronage, cadre deployment and a breakdown of democratic governance,” Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said.

The federation traced the current crisis to former Minister Blade Nzimande’s centralisation of power, which eliminated the tripartite governance model originally intended under the Skills Development Act.

Vavi expressed concern that the SETAs currently have no accounting authorities, leaving students and graduates in limbo regarding bursaries and grant disbursements.

He demanded that previously flagged individuals, including politically connected figures and former public officials, be permanently excluded from consideration.

Meanwhile, the ANC said in a statement that it supported Nkabane’s decision, framing it as a “principled act” rooted in good governance and accountability.

The party praised the minister’s commitment to a transparent, merit-based process and invited broader public participation in the re-opened nominations.

“We are satisfied that all due diligence will be observed during recruitment, and that all candidates will be appointed in accordance with the principles of merit, representative, good governance, and public accountability,” the party said.

It dismissed opposition claims of victory, stating that the withdrawal was a demonstration of “maturity and discipline” from ANC-led governance, not a capitulation to external pressure.

Nkabane has since committed to a recalibrated process, including a seven-day nomination period, the formation of a new independent vetting panel, and stricter adherence to merit and representational balance.

She emphasised transparency in her approach, vowing that all future appointees would undergo full screening.

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