Navigating the complexities of higher education: the path ahead for Buti Manamela

IN MATURE democracies, people openly call out politicians who err and underperform. Such politicians usually resign immediately when evidence of their indiscretions, such as nepotism or financial mismanagement, becomes public knowledge.

- PROFESSOR SURIAMURTHEE MAISTRY

In South Africa, however, many defaulting politicians often hold on to their portfolios despite clear evidence of malpractice.

The former minister of higher education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, is a case in point where, despite intense pressure from opposition parties, student organisations and civil society about blatant misuse of power in the appointment of Seta board members, she held on to her position.

While President Cyril Ramaphosa is often rightly accused of not being sufficiently decisive, he must be commended for taking a bold decision to fire this controversial minister. We may not know with any degree of certainty whether the president’s decision was a reaction to the public outcry regarding the minister's unashamed cadre deployment tactics, or whether he acted from a deeply ethical and moral principle, especially given the controversy surrounding the president’s own financial affairs.

The issue of working from high ethical and moral principles is important, and we should hold the new minister, Buti Manamela, and his deputy, Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube, to such high values. It is rare to find elected politicians in the post-apartheid era who are not shrouded by some controversy.

The new higher education minister, Manamela, is no exception.

During his tenure as deputy minister of higher education since 2019, he has been accused of sidestepping accountability, making limited progress on developing student support systems, and downplaying key fractures in higher education.

Arguably, his most telling misstep was in September 2024, when he was summoned to appear before Scopa, the standing committee on public accounts.