Zille: Ramaphosa punishes DA minister, ignores ANC lies to parliament

Helen Zille claims that the reason the Democratic Alliance has opened criminal charges against Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane is because President Cyril Ramaphosa refuses to act against corruption and criminality.

Speaking to a group of journalists on Tuesday morning, Zille, the Democratic Alliance Federal Council Chairperson, said they opened charges against Nkabane for allegedly lying to Parliament and facilitating ANC cadre deployment.

“We're here today for the simple reason that President Ramaphosa refuses to be as good as his word and act against corruption, act against criminality in our parliament,” said Zille. 

“Those kinds of actions go unchecked, whereas what President Ramaphosa perceives as a slight, which is a deputy minister (DA’s Andrew Whitfield) not asking him permission to go on a private trip that he didn't have to ask permission for, is punished in the strictest terms.”

Ramaphosa recently fired Whitfield from his position after he undertook an international visit without seeking presidential approval, something that Zille argues was not required.

Zille said serious fraud and misleading of Parliament appear to be condoned by Ramaphosa’s government.

“That is an enormous double standard, and that shows you that the ANC isn't at all interested in combating corruption,” she said. 

“This matter concerns Minister Nkabane, the Minister of Higher Education.”

Zille accused Nkabane of announcing appointments to the SETA boards (Sector Education and Training Authorities) - that were politically motivated and filled with ANC loyalists.

“Our colleague Karabo Kakao compiled a table of all those appointed and discovered, lo and behold, that there were a whole lot of deployed ANC cadres,” Zille said.

Among the appointments that Nkabane has since been withdrawn were:

- Buyambo Mantashe, chairperson of the MERSETA board (son of Minister Gwede Mantashe)

- Nomusa Dube-Ncube, chairperson of the BANKSETA board (former KwaZulu-Natal premier)

- Siboniso Mbhele, appointee to the TETA board (head of the KZN Department of Transport)

- Loyiso Masuku, appointee to the FOODBEV board (ANC deputy regional secretary, Johannesburg)

Another point of contention, according to Zille, was Nkabane’s claim that the boards were selected by an independent panel. She they were false.

“So the next question, obviously, was to ask how they were selected? And the minister said it was by an independent board of experts,” Zille said.

“But upon further investigation, the DA found that three of the six panel members were employees in Nkabane’s department, and others were ANC affiliates.”

Nkabane had also falsely said that Advocate Terry Motau chaired the panel, however Motau vehemently denied that.

She previously refused to disclose the panel’s names, however, she later submitted them under pressure.

The list included:

- Advocate Terry Motau (who denied serving the panel)

- Asisipho Solani

- Nelisiwe Semane

- Mabuza Ngubane

- Rhulani Ngwenya

Meanwhile, Zille said the panel included Nkabane’s chief of staff, a chief director for SETAs who reports directly to the minister, and a director of corporate services close to her.

“So she put three people who work for her, and two others - one of whom denied that it was his job - into choosing these critical roles for people who administer many tens of millions (of rands), supposedly in service of higher education in our country,” Zille said.

She added, “That was a blatant lie to a committee of Parliament, which is considered a lie to Parliament itself.”

The DA has filed charges against Nkabane for allegedly misleading Parliament and abusing her position to facilitate ANC cadre deployment.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

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