By Thapelo Molefe

The bail hearing of Walter Sisulu University (WSU) residence manager Manelisi Mampane, who is accused of murdering student Sisonke Mbolekwa during a campus protest last month, has been postponed once again to next week Tuesday.

Mampane faces charges of murder, attempted murder and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, following a shooting incident that left Mbolekwa dead and three other students injured.

During the second day of the bail application at the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court, proceedings were adjourned due to a backlog of other bail hearings.

The presiding magistrate noted that the court was “inundated” and unable to proceed fully with Mampane’s matter. 

The investigating officer, Colonel Mandla Miya, is yet to take the stand.

Outside court, the Mbolekwa family spokesperson, Phiwaba Madokwe, expressed dismay over Mampane’s testimony, calling it “misleading” and “infuriating”.

“There’s quite a number of things that left a bitter taste in our mouths,” said Madokwe. 

“The first one being him refusing to actually say the so-called safe place, or safe house that he’s going to be accommodated in, which he says that the university has given to him, to a point that even the investigating officer does not know where the said safe house is, which therefore means that even if he [gets] bail, no one might be able to get hold of him because he does not have a disclosed address, particularly in terms of the safe house.”

Madokwe further criticised Mampane’s claim of ignorance regarding firearm regulations. 

“He told the court he didn’t know how to handle a firearm, yet the state proved he previously applied for a firearm licence in a particular year and only failed the shooting test. That shows he was familiar with the basics and is misleading the court.”

Mampane insists that he acted in self defence and fired warning shots to disperse protesters. 

The State has rejected this, presenting postmortem evidence confirming that Mbolekwa was shot in the back, with the bullet exiting through his abdomen.

Mampane had initially claimed that the protest was sparked by university policies on student cohabitation. However, under cross-examination, he reportedly conceded that students had submitted a list of grievances including complaints about poor residence conditions, such as unpartitioned shared toilets.

The Mbolekwa family remains adamant that Mampane should not be granted bail.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

The remaining payments owed to National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers in KwaZulu-Natal have been processed.

The provincial department said they would receive their money on Friday.

Department HOD Nkosinathi Ngcobo said on Wednesday that they had initially encountered technical difficulties linked to the implementation of a new financial system, BAS Version 6, which led to delays in processing 22% of the payments. 

“We acknowledge the concerns raised by our valued service providers and wish to assure them that the department is doing everything possible to resolve the technical glitches affecting payment processes,” he said in a statement.

He said that the payment delays had nothing to do with the financial difficulties of the department as the NSNP was paid from a grant allocation.

“We remain committed to transparency, timeous communication and the uninterrupted provision of meals to our learners across the province of KwaZulu-Natal,” Ngcobo said.

Earlier this week, the Democratic Alliance said it had requested an urgent special legislature sitting to address NSNP concerns.

It said the department’s failure to pay NSNP service providers during March and April was a “gross dereliction of duty and a broader systemic failure”. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thapelo Molefe

The chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Tebogo Letsie, has accused the University of Limpopo of deliberately spreading misinformation regarding its compliance with a parliamentary summons, saying this was “gravely concerning”.

According to a statement issued by the committee, the university falsely claimed it had submitted documents requested by Parliament. 

However, the Office of the Secretary to Parliament confirmed that it had not received any such submission.

“The University of Limpopo has deliberately misled the public by asserting that it delivered the documents to the Office of the Secretary to Parliament,” Letsie said. 

“The Secretary has categorically denied this, confirming the university’s failure to comply.”

Letsie dismissed the notion of a personal conflict between himself and the university, framing the issue as a matter of constitutional accountability. 

“This matter is not a personal dispute… It is a question of constitutional compliance and institutional accountability,” he said, stressing the importance of institutional adherence to legal obligations.

In response, the committee will reissue the summons, this time providing a detailed specification of the required documentation.

Letsie said this move had been anticipated due to what he described as “potential resistance”.

He emphasised that the documents in question were critical for oversight functions and to ensure that public universities adhered to principles of transparency and good governance. 

“No institution will be permitted to operate outside the law or undermine Parliament’s authority,” he said.

The portfolio committee reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing compliance and upholding the rule of law in the higher education sector.

The university has been hauled over the coals recently due to a number of issues, including governance and administration.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Thebe Mabanga

Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) have assisted three million young people to access skills and enter the job market since being operationalised around 2012.

This was revealed by Zamokwakhe Khuzwayo, the Executive Officer of the National Skills Authority (NSA), who spoke on the sidelines of the board induction for the NSA.

The message from the induction ceremony by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane was that the Post-School Education and Skills Training (PSET) sector was set for a shake up, and that started with the newly installed board becoming solutions driven.

Nkabane sought to infuse a sense of urgency into the challenges faced by the boards and the Setas they oversaw.

“In my budget vote speech at the National Assembly last year, I reported that I have listened attentively to the voices agitating for transformation,” Nkabane said. “South Africans are no longer patient with us. They have been raising their voices with limited actions from our side, we ought to act and act now.”

Nkabane called on Setas to be innovative in their approach to developing for a changed workplace and skills landscape than when they were formed.

“The Setas must respond and exploit the dynamics of technology and its evolution in their innovative approaches towards addressing skills deficit and training,” the minister said.

“Given the pace and changes in industry innovation, our youths are best placed to benefit from continuous development and refinement of skills necessary to effectively navigate and utilise digital technologies.”

She noted that skills such as digital marketing, e-commerce, the Internet of Things, cloud computing and cybersecurity presented opportunities for job creation for young people.

The new chairperson of the NSA is Asanda Luwaca, who is also the executive chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency.

She described her experience and that of her peers as “shaped by protest, refined by policy and training”. However, she was cognisant that most of South Africa’s youth still “wait on the periphery of opportunity”.

Luwaca said she wanted the NSA to be the “centre of gravity” for the PSET sector and be a data driven co-ordinating body that bridged the gap between government and the private sector.

Nkabane also addressed the issue of young people who were not in education, employment or training.

“A national cause for concern is the estimate of 3.5 million young people between the ages of 15-24 who are not in formal education, employment or training. There is no doubt that more could be done to alleviate the plight of our youth…,’ the minister said.

She noted that there was a need to harness the collective efforts by both government and the private sector to reduce South Africa’s high unemployment rate, including youth unemployment.

“It is my commitment to review and ensure that all SETAs focus on their mandate to skill South Africans – particularly the youth.” the minister said.

Busani Ngcaweni, the principal of the National School of Government, urged the board members to be “fearless and courageous” and to lead “with ideas and foresight”.

The NSA will now oversee the appointment of boards and chairperson of the 21 Setas.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Amy Musgrave

While budget cuts in education have taken their toll, Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube says there have been notable achievements under the Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) and other key infrastructure programmes.

These include all 331 schools previously built from inappropriate materials, such as mud, being replaced, and 1336 schools connected to clean water.

Gwarube, who was briefing the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education in Parliament on the department’s progress and challenges in delivering safe, dignified school infrastructure, said 373 schools were electrified and 1086 schools received new sanitation facilities through the ASIDI programme.

A total of 96% of pit toilets from the Sanitation Appropriate for Education initiative have been eradicated, with 139 projects remaining, and 90% of schools nationwide were now in a fair, good or very good condition.

But, Gwarube said there was still much work to be done, including a dealing with a huge infrastructure backlog.

More than 8220 schools required additional classrooms at an estimated cost of R32.5 billion; 8% of schools remained in a poor condition and 2% in a very poor condition.

The minister said this reflected the legacy of underinvestment and inadequate maintenance by previous administrations.

A total of 13,485 schools needed additional toilets, which would cost R14.2 billion.

To meet the ongoing challenges of school maintenance, the department was reinforcing the implementation of the Education Infrastructure Strategy that mandated that 60% of the Education Infrastructure Grant be allocated to maintenance.

An estimated R10 billion was required annually for preventative maintenance and R14 billion for reactive maintenance.

Gwarube also spoke about the financial constraints the sector faced due to more than a decade of austerity. However, while the department had a R124 billion infrastructure backlog, progress continued to be made.

“We are not only correcting past wrongs but laying the foundation for a system that prioritises dignity, equity, and resilience. We owe it to this generation and the next,” the minister told MPs.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Staff Reporter

South African public servants are spending 20 days in China as part of a National School of Government (NSG) learning exchange programme to gain firsthand experience of how China has managed the modernisation and professionalisation of the state.

The programme, which ends on 27 May, is being hosted by the Academy for International Business Officials and is supported by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

It explores the Chinese path of modernisation from a largely rural and agrarian society to a modernised and industrialised society that abolished absolute poverty in 2020.

The NSG said that its international exchanges were aimed at facilitating public servants access to specialist knowledge and skills needed to enhance public sector performance and development. This was partly done by learning from the development trajectory of other countries in the Global South and North. 

Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi has congratulated the officials nominated to attend the programme, saying that state capacity was important in pursuing equitable and sustainable socio-economic transformation as well as safeguarding the rights and dignity of South Africans.

“Chinese leadership and achievements serve as a great source of inspiration for transformation on the African continent. African officials participating in these exchanges contribute to innovation and strengthening of public institutions to play a transformative role.”

This exchange is part of a series in the NSG’s international cooperation for public sector development and performance. 

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Edwin Naidu

Another week, more excuses from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

The country’s troubled financial aid scheme is again in the news due to unpaid 2024 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) learners’ allowances.

NSFAS should not be hogging the spotlight with alarming regularity. The country must be informed of success stories on how people who NSFAS has transformed are giving back to society.

Of course, that is the best narrative if it is the case. In the current scenario, it is a question of dishing out money that the state does not have for higher education and not seeing whether there is a return on investment. There is no accountability in the real sense for public funds.

To its credit, NSFAS is communicating about its latest challenge, acknowledging that this current situation arose from transitional challenges experienced during the switch to direct payment partners and the subsequent return of this function to NSFAS during the 2024 academic year.

One understands that the transition has resulted in a complex reconciliation process, which has been undertaken concurrently in the 2025 academic year.

But one is growing tired of the ongoing excuses. NSFAS insists it is nearing the completion of this reconciliation process and is committed to resolving the outstanding payments.

Further putting its head on the block, NSFAS has committed to ensuring that payments will be finalised by the end of May.

NSFAS says monthly TVET allowances for the 2025 academic year will be paid on 25 May. The special payment run for all unpaid TVET allowances from the 2024 academic year will be processed on 31 May 2025.

This is a significant commitment by NSFAS. What will happen if these payments are not made on time as indicated? Will someone be held accountable for not delivering on the duties assigned?

In the ideal world, that person would be in charge, in this case, Waseem Carrim, the former boss of the National Youth development Agency, who was appointed acting CEO on 5 March. While he has inherited several challenges, the board and even the CEO, via friends in the media, have spoken up about his credentials.

Nobody wants to see Carrim fail; the sector must succeed, inevitably, NSFAS, too. But it should serve as a lesson that the best person for the job must be hired. It is too early to judge Carrim, despite his lack of academic nous. However, he is as good as the team he is surrounded by. One hopes that Carrim and company will get it right by the end of May.

NSFAS remains steadfast in its commitment to working collaboratively with the sector to meet its obligations and address systemic challenges to ensure the efficient disbursement of funds to eligible students.

Should these commitments not be honoured, inconveniencing learners and TVET colleges, the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, ought to tell the Board Chair, Dr Karen Stander, ernough is enough!

One cannot expect the minister to provide weekly excuses on behalf of NSFAS and its new leadership team, which has not been in sync since its appointment on 19 February 2025.

On 25 April, the minister noted an apology from the embattled student funding scheme over the delayed payment of TVET student allowances originally scheduled for 25 April. Due to a system glitch related to the size of the batch files, these payments were processed on Saturday, 26 April, and have been reflected in all student accounts as of 27 April.

At the end of May, if the problem recurs, it will indicate that the time for talking is over, and the minister must act decisively.

Edwin Naidu is the editor of Inside Education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba

Mpumalanga education department officials, including HOD Lucy Moyane, will face disciplinary action following a forensic investigation which uncovered serious procurement irregularities in a laptop deal.

In December last year, the department spent R2 million on 22 office laptops, with each costing R91,482.50.

According to the investigation, eight officials allegedly misrepresented procurement processes, manipulated specifications and approved the delivery of laptops that did not meet the agreed requirements.

Premier Mandla Ndlovu, who instituted the probe, told reporters on Monday that all implicated officials would face charges under the Public Service Act, Public Service Regulations, the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and other applicable statutes.

“Officials of the department misrepresented that the amount paid was correct, due and payable to the supplier, when in fact the amount paid was for laptops of inferior quality than those ordered,” Ndlovu said.

“Officials misrepresented that the specification they developed was in accordance with user requirements when, in fact, they used a specification which was developed two years ago and not reviewed for the current procurement.”

Market comparison revealed that the laptops, charged at R91,482.50 each, had a market value as low as R59,200, indicating gross overpayment.

“The supplier misrepresented to the department that it supplied the goods as per the award when it knew that the laptops supplied were not in accordance with the specification,” Ndlovu said.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to recovering all financial losses incurred as a result of the procurement deal.

He said the supplier would be blacklisted on the National and Provincial Treasury Registers for Tender Defaulters, and the matter will be reported to State Information Technology Agency for further action. 

The premier said lifestyle reviews, which may lead to full lifestyle audits, would be conducted on all implicated officials. There would also be a broader governance review of the department.

The matter would also be referred to the SA Police Service for investigation into possible criminal offences including fraud, corruption, bribery and collusion under the PFMA and the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.

During the briefing, Ndlovu accused officials of acting in a dishonest manner, which had become apparent through the probe.

“They failed to make a full disclosure of their involvement and provided incorrect information during the departmental investigation,” he alleged.

“They misled both the premier and the MEC by providing inaccurate information during the departmental investigation.”

Ndlovu said a progress report would be made available on the implementation of all the recommendations by the end of June.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

The remaining 22% of unpaid National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) service providers will be paid this week, according to Gauteng education department that set a payment run for Monday.

They were expected to receive their payments on Thursday.

According to the department, technical difficulties linked to the implementation of a new financial system, BAS Version 6, had caused the delays in processing payments. 

As of 24 April 24, 278% of payments had been successfully processed. 

The department said the National Treasury’s IT team was working to resolve the system failures.

“We acknowledge the concerns raised by our valued service providers and wish to assure them that the department is doing everything possible to resolve the technical glitches affecting payment processes,” said department HOD Nkosinathi Ngcobo.

However, the Democratic Alliance has expressed concern over the department’s financial management, describing it as a “crisis” that was now threatening the wellbeing of millions of learners and the constitutional viability of the province’s education system.

The party has requested an urgent special legislature sitting to address various issues plaguing the department.

DA KZN education spokesperson Sakhile Mngadi said the department’s failure to pay NSNP service providers during March and April was a “gross dereliction of duty and a broader systemic failure”. 

“As schools reopen today, suppliers are staging a sit-in while KZN’s more than two million learners – many of whom rely on school meals as their only daily source of nutrition – are at risk of returning to classrooms with empty stomachs,” he said. 

Mngadi said the department has made financial promises it could not legally keep.

He warned that if the department failed to promptly implement corrective measures, the party would support invoking Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act, which could lead to the department being placed under administration.

“We remain committed to transparency, timeous communication and the uninterrupted provision of meals to our learners across the province,” said Ngcobo.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Alicia Mmashakana

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande is concerned about the recent declaration by the United States to discontinue research funding for essential biomedical, health and related collaborative programmes involving institutions and scientists from the US and South Africa.

He has warned that the abrupt withdrawal of funding will not only greatly impair cutting-edge USA-SA science research collaboration to combat the spread of, in particular, high risk communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, but also possesses real-life consequences for patients enrolled in crucial scientific trial and treatment programmes.

Nzimande is currently establishing a working group on science, technology and innovation funding to counsel him on the consequences and effects of the cuts.

The group will analyse risk mitigation factors associated with external funding for research and development programmes in vital sectors of the national innovation system.

Its terms of refence include assessing current geo-political risks to science, technology and innovation, and proposing policy and strategic responses to enhance the long-term security and sustainability of the STI system, including the role of the department.

Nzimande is anticipated to finalise the appointment of the group’s members within the next week, and they are expected to commence their duties immediately.

It will be made up of experts, policymakers and administrators from South Africa’s National Skills Institute. 

Its secretariat will be run by the department.

The first draft report is expected to be submitted to Nzimande within four weeks of taking on the task. He will receive the final report on 30 June.

INSIDE EDUCATION