/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Siya-Seta-MPs-copy.jpg?ssl=1 "Minister Slammed Over Controversial Seta CEO Reappointments")
Key Takeaways:
- The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, has been criticized for reappointing seven Seta CEOs without following due process.
- The reappointments were made on October 1, 2025, just a day after the new Accounting Authorities assumed office.
- The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have questioned the legitimacy of the reappointments, citing a lack of transparency and potential irregularities.
- The reappointed CEOs have been accused of poor performance, with some facing investigations and allegations of maladministration.
- The Organization Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has called for greater transparency and accountability in the Seta environment.
Introduction to the Controversy
A storm erupted during an intense, long sitting of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on 26 November 2025. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Sihle Lonzi led the charge, along with Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Karabo Khakhau, sharply questioning how Manamela could have lawfully reappointed seven Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) CEOs the day after the brand-new Accounting Authorities, the Seta boards, assumed office on 30 September 2025. The controversy surrounding the reappointments has raised questions about the legitimacy of the process and the potential for irregularities.
The Reappointment Process
According to documents before the committee, Manamela instructed all 21 newly appointed Accounting Authorities to urgently meet on the day they assumed office, and recommend three suitable executive-level candidates for him to consider for the appointment of an acting CEO by, or before, 1 October 2025. However, MPs argued that this process was made under pressure and flawed due to the deadlines. Lonzi said he believed Manamela made the appointments unilaterally, without following due process. The reappointments were made on October 1, 2025, with the following CEOs being reappointed: Yershen Pillay (CHIETA), Ayanda Mafuleka (FASSET), Matome Madibana (MICT SETA), Thabo Mashongoane (MQA), Feleng Yende (FP&M SETA), Gugu Mkhize (INSETA), and Tom Mkhwanazi (W&R SETA).
Contradictions and Irregularities
Lonzi stressed that there was no due process that was followed in Accounting Authorities (AAs or Seta boards) getting a name for the minister, and it is simply unthinkable and illogical to send an AA a letter today and say give me a name of a CEO tomorrow, worse if the AA is new. He also referred to a letter dated 6 October 2025, in which the minister explicitly told Accounting Authorities that extending CEO contracts beyond their expiry date was unlawful. Despite this written position, Manamela told MPs that his actions on 30 September were lawful, insisting that the Accounting Authorities “subsequently complied” with his directive. However, the DA’s Khakhau questioned whether Manamela was aware of a legal opinion document that stated that outgoing CEOs cannot be regarded as employees beyond 30 September 2025 and therefore cannot be recommended in that capacity.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability
The reappointed CEOs have been accused of poor performance, with some facing investigations and allegations of maladministration. Outa has stressed that Chieta’s CEO, Pillay, was reappointed despite being under active investigation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU Proclamation 267 of 2025) for serious maladministration and unlawful expenditure of public funds. Inseta CEO Mkhize has also been implicated in highly irregular procurement practices, including an office fit-out and relocation contract worth R14.1-million and a R14.5-million contract to develop an Enterprise Resource Planning system with QI Solutions that was not needed and has been problematic. The lack of transparency and accountability in the Seta environment has raised concerns about the potential for corruption and mismanagement.
Conclusion and Call to Action
The controversy surrounding the reappointments of the Seta CEOs has highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the Seta environment. The EFF and DA have called for an investigation into the reappointments, citing potential irregularities and a lack of due process. Outa has also called for greater transparency and accountability, stressing that the reappointed CEOs have been accused of poor performance and potential maladministration. As the dust settles, pressure is building for an intervention that restores transparency and credibility within the Seta environment. It is essential that the Minister of Higher Education and Training takes steps to address the concerns raised and ensure that the Seta environment is free from corruption and mismanagement.
