EFF Member of Parliament, Sihle Lonzi, putting up a fight.

Source: The People's Eye

EFF Member of Parliament, Sihle Lonzi, being forced out of a meeting of the Portfolio Committee of Higher Education.

Source: The People's Eye

Sizwe sama Yende

Hard line EFF Member of Parliament, Sihle Lonzi, had to be manhandled out of a portfolio committee by security when he insisted on asking a question about the appointment of Mineral Resources and Energy minister Gwede Mantashe’s as board chairperson of one of the skills development bodies.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education was hosting the department and the Construction Education & Training Authority (CETA) on Wednesday this week to account about rampant corruption, maladministration, and mismanagement at the authority.

It however became clear that a list of the appointment of board chairperson of the various 22 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) had leaked.

The list showed that one Buyambo Mantashe had been appointed as MERSETA (Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Authority) board chairperson.

Under the credentials column on the list, Buyambo is referred to as ANC member and Mantashe’s son.

Also on the list was CETA board chairperson, Dr Zakhele Buthelezi, who is chief finance officer at the Gert Sibande District Municipality in Mpumalanga.

Buthelezi attended the portfolio committee meeting. His presence gave credence to the fact that the leaked list might be true after all.

The portfolio committee members had agreed that they would not  ask Higher Education director-general, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, any questions that had to be answered by Dr Nobuhle Nkabane with who they were disappointed she was not attending meetings.

Lonzi insisted on asking Sishi to confirm if Buyambo Mantashe had been appointed.

“DG, are you aware the son of Gwede Mantashe has been appointed as one of the chairpersons of the SETA boards?” Lonzi asked.

When committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie tried to reason with Lonzi, he insisted on asking the question – leading to a lengthy argument that prompted Letsie to call the security while other committee members backed him.

“The DG cannot answer that question. We have discussed this among ourselves that we will call the minister. The DG cannot answer for the minister,” Letsie said.

However, Lonzi accused Letsi of protecting the department. “The DG is here. Why are you answering on his behalf? The DG must be the one giving that answer.”

The meeting resumed after the security manhandled Lonzi out of the sitting.     

Nkabane has not yet announced the new board chairpersons of the SETAs. On the leaked list, former KwaZulu-Natal premier, Nomsa Dube-Ncube, appears as chairperson of the Banking Sector Education and Training Authority.

 Former KZN Economic Development and Tourism MEC, Mike Mabuyakhulu, was allegedly appointed chairperson of the Services Seta.

Former Higher Education director-general, Gwebinkundla Qonde, has allegedly been appointed as chairperson of Chemical Industries Education & Training Sector Authority.