Disgraced former higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane bit off more than she could chew before her firing from cabinet on Monday.
By the time President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Nkabane’s removal as minister, replacing her with Buti Manamela, the damage to the government she represented was already done.
Her indiscretions in the appointment of boards of sector education and training authorities (Setas), and her arrogance before parliament when called to account, not only left a stain on the government’s reputation but also undermined governance and public confidence.
About two months ago, a leaked list of names of people earmarked to be appointed as board chairpersons of Setas exposed Nkabane’s shenanigans. The names included politically connected individuals from the ANC. Ironically, one of the names was that of Nomusa Dube-Ncube, who has since been appointed Manamela’s deputy.
The surfacing of the list sparked a widespread backlash, with Nkabane called to account on how the selection was made. But she went on to mislead parliament by claiming she was helped by a selection panel and avoided answering questions from MPs.
This was a deliberate act of using falsehood for convenience to undermine a public institution of accountability.
Although Nkabane was later forced by Ramaphosa to withdraw the list of appointments to Setas, she defiantly remained arrogant when transparency was called for. Her contempt of parliament and the people that elected her didn’t end there. She recently snubbed appearing before a parliamentary committee on higher education and, instead, visited to a TVET college in East London.
We doubt Nkabane was aware of the weight of her duties as minister.
The calls for her removal were no longer just echoing outside from opposition benches in parliament but even within her own caucus ranks. Her dismissal was, therefore, long coming, and had been expected. She will not be missed.
The delays by Ramaphosa in firing her have only served to erode public trust in his administration, and further give credence to perception the president is indecisive. Ramaphosa’s indecisions in dealing with ministers in his government appear to be driven by his party’s internal dynamics and interests, which are allowed to overshadow his commitment to good governance.
Take the case of minister Thembi Simelane who was moved from department of justice to human settlements amid allegations of receiving money from a company that illegally benefited from the collapse of VBS Mutual Bank. Simelane and others facing serious allegations should have no place in cabinet.
Accountability and decisive leadership are crucial in maintaining public confidence.