Did the Seta panel exist? Nkabane under fire as senior officials deny role in appointments

After ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula defended Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane, saying she didn’t break the law and did not lie about her controversial Seta board appointments, which included ANC politicians, three senior officials who were among the independent panel established by Nkabane have now denied their involvement in the process to appoint the chairpersons.

Last month, Nkabane revealed that advocate Terry Motau SC; her chief of staff, Nelisiwe Semane; director of Seta coordination in the department, Mabuza Ngubane; deputy director-general for corporate services, Rhulani Ngwenya; and adviser Asisipho Solani were responsible for assisting in making the appointments for the Seta chairpersons. 

Read more: Nkabane reveals names of panellists who oversaw controversial SETA board appointments

However, Motau denied that he was ever officially appointed or involved in the final selection process. Three more officials from Nkabane’s department – Semane, Ngubane and Ngwenya – have also denied their involvement in appointing 21 Seta chairpersons.

Responding with letters to the chairperson of the Higher Education Portfolio Committee, Tebogo Letsie, the trio said they were not involved. In a letter dated 24 June, Semane said her name appears because the minister submitted a list that includes all the panels that she has appointed since taking office; however, it did not make a distinction between participation in accounting authorities and participation in Seta board chairs and recommendations.

“I did not participate in the selection and recommendation of Setas Accounting Authority Chairpersons, but participated in the process for the recommendation of Setas Accounting Authorities – and not Board Chairpersons… As a public servant, I was not paid any additional remuneration for my participation in the selection and recommendation of accounting authorities,” said Semane.

Both Ngwenya and Ngubane’s letters, dated 25 June, said they were not involved. According to Ngwenya, in September/October 2024 there were consultations between the director-general, Dr Sishi, and Nkabane, and a decision was taken to relocate the responsibility for managing nominations for non-executive board members unit, Programme: Corporate Services, which Ngwenya serves in.

“While I accepted the transfer of this function, I also indicated that, due to vacancies at both middle and senior management levels within the Chief Directorate: Human Resources, and given the confidential nature of the function, I would be required to undertake the responsibilities personally,” said Ngwenya.

Read more: ANC is ‘defending the indefensible’, says DA after Mbalula backs Minister Nkabane

In March 2025, Ngwenya was formally appointed and/or assigned (through a written correspondence) by Nkabane to provide secretarial support to the nomination panel responsible for the selection of chairpersons of the Seta Accounting Authority.

“I viewed this as an assignment of duties rather than a formal appointment, and as such, did not deem it necessary to formally accept the assignment in writing. I was neither compensated nor remunerated against my appointment as Secretariat… I was not involved in the approval process of the 21 nominees who were ultimately appointed as chairpersons of Seta Accounting Authority,” said Ngwenya.

Meanwhile, Ngubane wrote that he received a letter dated 7 March 2025 appointing him as chairperson of the nomination committee for the selection of members to serve as chairpersons of Seta accounting authorities.

“I did not write any acceptance letter, as I viewed this appointment as part of my role as Chief Director: Seta Coordination in the Department, and to my knowledge, there is no way the process of appointing Seta Chairpersons could have been executed without my involvement or the involvement of my office…

“I did not attend any meeting, since I did not receive any invitation for the meeting… Lastly, I reiterate that neither was I involved in setting up meetings nor screening the nominations of candidates for the Seta Chairpersons,” said Ngubane.

Read more: MPs demand transparency over secretive Seta appointments panel

Solani admitted that he was part of the nomination committee but did not receive compensation beyond his regular salary.

This has raised doubts about whether an independent panel ever existed and whether Mbalula was too hasty in defending Nkabane by claiming she hadn’t lied. As reported by TimesLIVE, Mbalula’s remarks contrast sharply with those of ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli, who stated last week that clear inconsistencies had emerged between Nkabane’s statements to Parliament and her written communication.

The DA’s Karabo Khakhau, who has opened criminal charges of fraud and statutory offences against Nkabane, told Daily Maverick that the question of whether this panel exists has long been there.

“I am not sure why the committee would be shocked when the minister first refused to tell us who sat on this panel and then took her time when she eventually decided to, when the supposed chairperson of this panel denied involvement,” said Khakhau. 

Calls continue to grow for the removal of Nkabane as minister. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa has not made any public announcement on his decision after receiving Nkabane’s report on her conduct during a committee meeting and the Seta appointment process. DM