Nkabane defends her budget against party criticism

HIGHER Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane has lashed out at political parties that rejected the 2025/26 budget for her department in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

Nkabane accused the parties of being anti-transformation, misogynistic, and doing a disservice to South Africans.

“It is a pity and unfortunate that today we are witnessing some of the honourable members not actually accepting and adopting this budget vote.

“Those who are actually rejecting the budget are rejecting the transformation of the post-school education and training sector in South Africa,” she said.

This was after the DA led the charge in rejecting the budget during a debate in the NCOP following the laying of criminal charges against her for allegedly misleading Parliament on the “independent panel” for Sector and Education Training Authorities (SETA) board chairpersons.

The DA had threatened not to vote in favour of budgets of departments that were led by “compromised and corrupt ANC ministers and deputy ministers”, whom President Cyril Ramaphosa did not remove from the Cabinet.

DA MP, Jean Adriaanse, said it was time for Ramaphosa to fire Nkabane and clean out the ANC's criminal network at the heart of government.