Nkabane in trouble again after failing to attend important Parliament meeting

CAPE TOWN - Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane, has found herself in trouble again, after failing to attend another crucial meeting in Parliament on Friday.

Nkabane was set to give members another briefing on the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board selection process, which was abandoned after an outcry that many of the appointees were aligned to the African National Congress (ANC). 

The Higher Education committee rejected a last-minute apology from Nkabane, with calls for action to be taken against her for being in contempt of Parliament.

The committee resolved at its meeting in June to invite all those involved in the SETA board selection process, including panellists and Nkabane, for a follow-up engagement.

The meeting also follows letters by some panellists, who distanced themselves from the SETA board selection process.

Minister Nkabane issued an 11th-hour apology because she’s attending a gender-based violence (GBV) event at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in the Eastern Cape. 

Committee chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, rejected the apology.

“Upon receiving the apology from the Minister I responded to her and indicated that I’m not accepting her apology because it does not make sense why she won’t be available for today.”

ANC Member of Parliament (MP), Gaolatlhe Kgabo, said action must be taken against Nkabane under the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of Parliaments and Provincial Legislatures Act.  

“Chapter four dealing with disciplinary actions against members who are in contempt of parliament. And my understanding and interpretation of that is that both the minister and director general are guilty of such.”

The committee has resolved to summon Nkabane to a meeting next week, including two other panellists who also failed to attend.