Parliament wants Nkabane to disclose all names of advisory panel for SETA boards appointment

CAPE TOWN - Parliament says it expects Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane, to disclose all the names of the independent panel that advised her on the appointment of boards of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

While she sent a list to the Higher Education Committee last week, after initially refusing to comply, the committee suspects some names may have been concealed. 

The appointment of these SETA boards has since been reversed and the process reopened, following public outcry that they were being staffed with the politically connected.

Committee chairperson, Tebogo Letsie said the committee wants those who served on the advisory panel to also explain their role in the process. 

The committee said it is not the end of the SETA debacle and it will demand that Nkabane appear before it again.

In the meantime, Letsie said the Higher Education Minister must explain why the SETA advisory panel comprised staff from her office and officials from the department. 

He said it also appears names were redacted on the list sent to Parliament.

“The minister is legislatively obligated to furnish Parliament with the outstanding names of the panellists who were concealed on the submitted list.”

Letsie said the committee also wants to know how these advisors were approached, how much they were paid and the number of meetings they attended. 

“One of the people on the list has already denied he was ever part of the panel which raises more questions.”

Letsie said the panel and the minister have been set a Wednesday deadline to respond in writing to the committee’s request for further information. 

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