Nobuhle Nkabane found guilty of gross misconduct by ethics committee

Former Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was found guilty of gross misconduct by Parliament's Ethics Committee after it determined she misled lawmakers and breached the Executive Code of Ethics.

The findings followed a complaint lodged with the registrar of members’ interests by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Karabo Khakhau, who serves on the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training.

The probe found that Nkabane failed to exercise proper oversight in the appointment of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairs and allowed her advisor to handle the recruitment and selection panel process.

Nkabane also appointed African National Congress (ANC)-linked individuals as chairs of the Seta boards, including the son of ANC Chairperson Gwede Mantashe.

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In July last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa fired her from the executive.

The Joint Committee on Ethics and Members' Interest expanded the scope of its investigation beyond the initial allegations and determined that Nkabane did not follow up on whether the panel had been properly appointed, resulting in irregularities that undermined governance.

The committee also found she lied to Parliament about the role of an advisory structure she claimed was responsible for selecting candidates.

After her appearance in Parliament, some of the members she claimed were on the advisory board, including Advocate Terry Motau, distanced themselves from the process.

Nkabane blamed her advisor, Asisipho Solani, for the failures.

She was subsequently fired by Ramaphosa and has since been appointed the ANC’s deputy chief whip in Parliament.

The committee concluded that her conduct fell short of the standards expected of members of the executive.

While the ethics committee stopped short of recommending suspension, it ordered Nkabane to issue a formal public apology and formally reprimanded her.