She Didn’t Show Up: Minister Nkabane’s No-Show Sparks Parliament Drama and SETA Scandal Firestorm
When a high-stakes parliamentary meeting was scheduled to unpack the controversial appointment process for SETA board chairpersons, one key person didn’t show up—Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane. Her absence didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, it triggered what many are calling a full-blown accountability crisis in Parliament.
Friday’s meeting, held by the portfolio committee on higher education, was meant to hear from both the minister and the advisory panel that recommended the now-cancelled SETA appointments. Advocate Terry Motau and Chief Director for SETA coordination, Mabuza Ngubane, were present, but Minister Nkabane was notably missing.
Instead, her chief of staff submitted a medical note. Her advisor didn’t respond at all. The committee chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, revealed a timeline of apologies and last-minute requests from Nkabane to reschedule—first due to her attendance at a student leadership event in East London, then a late-night Thursday request for a new meeting time.
But MPs weren’t having it.
ANC MP David Kgabo made it clear: “This meeting will not operate on the basis of the availability of the minister.” He even called for her to be reported to the Ethics Committee, though this wasn’t pursued at that stage.
DA MP Karabo Khakhau added fuel to the fire, questioning why Nkabane had to attend an Eastern Cape event when she had two capable deputy ministers who could’ve stepped in.
“She is clearly evading accountability,” Khakhau said bluntly.
The sentiment was echoed across party lines.
EFF’s Sihle Lonzi, the IFP’s Sanele Zondo, and MK Party’s Siphetho Mkhize all pushed for firm action—some saying she had until Tuesday to appear, others demanding mechanisms to compel her to attend.
Perhaps the most pointed comment came from Zondo: “She can’t run forever because lies have short legs.”
But this wasn’t just about Nkabane’s absence.
DG Nkosinathi Sishi’s office was accused of misinforming officials by circulating a letter claiming the meeting was cancelled—while it was, in fact, going ahead. One official, Deputy Director-General Rhulani Ngwenya, left Cape Town for Pretoria midweek, believing the meeting was off, only to receive an in-flight email stating otherwise. She could not return in time due to a personal matter.
This added to the committee’s growing frustration.
“This is not just poor communication,” said Kgabo. “This is interference. The DG is one of the people who misled this committee.”
In a move that revealed just how serious things are, committee chair Letsie announced that both DG Sishi and advisor Solani would be summoned, with efforts to reconvene with all missing panellists as early as next week.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a case of a missed meeting. The integrity of the SETA appointment process, ministerial accountability, and the inner workings of higher education governance are now all under scrutiny.
Will Nkabane show up next week? Or will Parliament have to push even harder?
For those following this developing story, things could get even more intense.
Read also: Deputy Ministers Stay Silent As SETA Chaos Deepens
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Pinned Comment / Poll:
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