Parliamentary theatrics leads to action, EFF gets vindicated
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A parliamentary expulsion of an EFF MP Sihle Lonzi which came as a result of questioning the appoint of Sector for Education and Training Authority (SETA) board members led to the withdrawal of the said board by Higher Education and Training Minister, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane.
The 27 years old Lonzi was dragged out of Parliament earlier this week after accusing SETA and the Minister of appointing politically connected individuals including the alleged appointment of Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashes son. Before he could finish asking the question, the member was stopped and told not to ask the Director General the question on several occasions by the Portfolio Chairperson Tebogo Letsie.
Lonzi insisted that he will not be told what and how to ask a question and he was later on requested to leave the meeting or be dragged out. Following a push-back and outrage by several organizations including the broader public through social media, the Minister issued a statement saying she has decided to withdraw all the appointments with immediate effect and start the new process from scratch.
Nkabane says the decision aims to restore public confidence in the appointment process. A new independent panel will assess nominees based on merit, qualifications and balanced representation across race, gender, youth, and disability.
The EFF issued a statement saying they welcome the response from the Minister and they will continue to hold government to account and speak out whenever they see any corruption.
“EFF Welcomes The Withdrawal Of Corrupt Appointments Of SETA Board Chairpersons Who Were Appointed Through Abuse Of Political Proximity.”
“It is our firm belief that these appointments were not made in the spirit of fairness, transparency, or merit, but were instead a manifestation of the ANC’s longstanding practice of rewarding political loyalty with positions of public responsibility.”
“The reopening of the nomination process must not be a cosmetic exercise. It must lead to the selection of the best candidates based on merit, experience, and a demonstrable track record of ethical leadership. Anything less will be a betrayal of the public trust.”
