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A rollercoaster year for former higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane
Sunday World
|SW December 14 2025 edition
She compounded tensions when she skipped a meeting
Former higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane was replaced with Buti Manamela./Parliament
For Nobuhle Nkabane, 2025 will be remembered as a year that spiralled from controversy to political isolation, ending with her removal from cabinet as higher education and training minister.
What began as routine management of a complex portfolio quickly descended into missteps and questions about her leadership in a sector already under intense scrutiny.
The first major controversy arose in May, when Nkabane's attempt to appoint chairpersons to the boards of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) sparked outrage.
Her selections included multiple figures with strong ANC connections, notably Buyambo Mantashe, the son of senior ANC leader Gwede Mantashe.
This story is from the SW December 14 2025 edition edition of Sunday World.
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