ANC Comradeship vs Competence: Heated Clash in Parliament Over Seta Administrators

CAPE TOWN, 20 Sept 2025 – Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela was put on the defensive in a fiery parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on Friday, vehemently defending his controversial appointments to lead three troubled Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) against accusations of deploying politically connected individuals linked to past corruption scandals.

The ministers’ picks—Oupa Nkoane for the Construction Seta (Ceta), Lehlogonolo Masoga for the Services Seta (SSeta), and Zukile Mvalo for the Local Government Seta (LGSeta)—were slammed by opposition MPs as "corrupt and incapable," leading to a heated exchange about the line between professional competence and political affiliation.

The Appointments Under Fire

Minister Manamela had placed the three Setas under administration on August 19, 2025, citing severe "governance failures, procurement irregularities, lapses in oversight and board instability." He revealed nearly R80 million in wasteful expenditure at Ceta alone, which he said had become "consumed by battles over tenders and internal power" instead of developing skills.

He argued that Section 15(4) of the Skills Development Act allowed for urgent intervention without consultation to rescue the failing entities.

The R872 Million Elephant in the Room

The most explosive allegation came from MK party MP Mnqobi Msezane, who questioned Manamela’s relationship with Oupa Nkoane. Nkoane was one of 12 officials named in a 2017/18 forensic report into the Emfuleni Local Municipality that revealed a staggering R872 million in "unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure."

In his defense, Minister Manamela stated, “There’s an allegation. […] We found that there are no implications against him... The fact that someone is tainted or alleged, it doesn’t mean that the person is guilty of a crime.”

Political Links and Internal Contradictions

EFF MP Sihle Lonzi lambasted the minister, arguing that "ANC comrades should not be in the departments of higher education." The criticism held weight as appointee Lehlogonolo Masoga is a known ANC Youth League member and former Limpopo MEC.

The hearing descended into chaos when Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi gave contradictory answers on whether the fired CEOs of the Setas had been consulted before the administration decision, prompting an ANC MP to demand he be charged with “dereliction of duty.”

Legal Challenges and Calls for Withdrawal

The CEOs of LGSeta and Ceta have initiated legal action against the department, claiming the decision was "unlawful and prejudicial." Despite this, and despite the Daily Maverick reporting that Manamela himself had asked the Public Service Commission to probe the appointments, the minister refused to withdraw them.

Pushing back against the DA's call for withdrawal, Manamela retorted, “I would deem that to be quite unfair... to suggest that we should not consider anybody on the basis that there are allegations against them, I think that would be unfair and unconstitutional.”

The administrators are set to begin their work, providing monthly reports while the department faces a looming high court date and an ongoing investigation into its own appointments.