Pretoria – 23 July 2025
President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially dismissed Dr. Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane from her position as Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, following mounting criticism over her involvement in the controversial appointment of SETA board members.
Dr. Nkabane, who served in the national executive since 2021, has faced increasing scrutiny in recent months after it emerged that several board appointments to the Sector Education and Training Authorities were made without due process. Parliament accused her of misleading MPs by claiming the recommendations came from an independent panel — a claim later discredited when it was revealed that her department had played a direct role in the selections.
The issue sparked public outcry, particularly from student organizations such as SASCO and SASF, as well as opposition parties including the DA, EFF, and IFP, all of whom called for her resignation or dismissal. The DA went further by lodging a criminal complaint, accusing her of fraud and parliamentary misconduct.
In a brief statement issued on Monday evening, the Presidency confirmed that Buti Manamela, her deputy, would step in as the new Minister of Higher Education, with Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube taking over the role of Deputy Minister.
Dr. Nkabane, a long-serving member of the African National Congress (ANC) and former Deputy Minister of Energy, was appointed to lead the Higher Education department in July 2024. Her tenure was marked by promises of reform and transformation within the post-school education system, but her fall from grace has now raised serious concerns over political interference in governance processes.
Political analysts believe the move was also driven by pressure from the ANC’s coalition partners, who had threatened to vote against the government’s education budget if Nkabane remained in office.
As of now, Dr. Nkabane has not issued a public statement in response to her dismissal. Efforts to reach her office were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
