HIGHER Education and Training Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane may have lied to the public.
This after one of the members of the panel that she claimed helped her in the selection of the Boards of Sector Education and Training Authority (Setas) chairpersons has distanced himself from the mess.
In a leaked letter to Nkabane, purported chairman of the panel, Advocate Terry Motau SC said that he wasn't part of the process.
"The above quoted portions of your letter indicate to me that you seem to be unaware that I did not assist you or your office 'in reviewing and assessing the nominations received for the appointments of accounting authorities per Sector Education and Training Authority'. I did not participate in this process," Motau said.
He further wrote that he neither received nor saw any information relating to the process, if any was followed.
"Based on the above, you should be aware that you never met with me regarding this process and that I never received any documentation relating to it," he said.
Motau said therefore, Nkabane received no communication, report, shortlist, assessment or recommendations from him.
He said he didn't have any formal engagement with the minister's attorney about the process.
Among the board chairpersons were ANC-aligned individuals, including Buyambo Mantashe, the son of ANC chairman and Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe, former KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube and ex-ANC KZN provincial deputy chairman, Mike Mabuyakhulu.
Nkabane was forced to withdraw all these appointments after a public outcry.
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When she appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education in May 2025, she flatly refused to share the names of the panel members.
After pressure from political parties and committee members, she finally released the names on Tuesday afternoon, 17 June.
They included Advocate Motau, former South African Students Congress (SASCO) leader, former member of the Western Cape ANC Youth League's (ANCYL) interim leadership, and current advisor to the minister, Asisipho Solani, Chief of Staff in the Office of the minister, Nelisiwe Semane, Mabuza Ngubane, who is a chief director for Seta Coordination and deputy director-general: Corporate Services: Department of Higher Education and Training, and former deputy director-General Corporate Management: Department of Tourism, Rhulani Ngwenya.
It was said that Motau was appointed as chairman though he never attended any session.
The DA has referred Nkabane to the ethics committee.
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education is also concerned that Nkabane may have misled it.
Committee chair Tebogo Letsie said after reviewing the letter, the committee has expressed concern that it's been misled about the panel's make-up responsible for recommending appointments to the boards of Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas).
"Committee members feel misled by previous representations made regarding the independence of the panel and the integrity of the appointment process. In particular, the committee finds the redaction or censoring of some panel member names highly irregular and unacceptable," he said.
Letsie further said that the committee is alarmed by the revelation in the minister's letter that the purported chairman of the panel did not attend any of its meetings, raising further questions about who chaired the panel meetings and oversaw the selection of candidates for Setas boards.
