NSFAS must reveal vetting process for student accommodation online portal and accrediting agents

Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Chantel King MP.

The DA calls on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to reveal how vetting took place for the student accommodation online portal service providers and student accommodation accrediting agents. Recent investigations by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) into tender contracts, revealed irregularities as well as the service providers’ inability to offer these services effectively.

Service providers have to pay up to R200 per bed for accreditation and an additional 5% of rental received to NSFAS for administration fees. The online portal providers and accrediting agents stand to make millions from these contracts.

The OUTA investigative report also revealed that:

  •  Student accommodation online portal providers are also student accommodation accrediting agents and student accommodation providers;
  • Connected politicians or their family members were awarded contracts to provide accrediting services;
  • Employees of the state received contracts to accredit student accommodation; and
  • Some contract providers have links with service provider directors of other NSFAS tenders, who in turn have links with the former CEO, Andile Nongogo.

Most of the student accrediting agents do not have the necessary experience to render accrediting services and some were set up just before the contracts were awarded.

We have long been of the view that NSFAS has become a lucrative business for politically connected companies. Under the watchful eye of Higher Education Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, politically connected businesses have enriched themselves at the expense of poor and working-class students.

Investigations into the vetting of these contracts are important to root out systemic corruption at NSFAS and to hold those accountable for any wrongdoing.

The ANC’s reign of cadre deployment and corruption must be stopped at the ballot box on 29 May 2024.

Meanwhile, the start of the 2024 academic year was again marred by controversy at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT, Northlink College and Buffalo City TVET College, all linked to the student accommodation pilot project.

DA’s intervention plan to rescue Gauteng and KZN residents from ANC/EFF coalition’s water crisis and service delivery failures

Please find attached a soundbite by Siviwe Gwarube MP.

Download pictures here, here and here.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) today announces the five-point intervention plan to address the governance and political instability we have seen in the country’s major metropolitan areas.

The instability in these cities is due to coalitions that are bound by gentlemen’s agreements and not by good governance principles that place the residents at the heart of the governance agenda.

Over the past fortnight, we have seen how unstable coalition governments led by the ANC/ EFF coalitions have led to unprecedented water shortages, with residents going days without any water in most parts of Johannesburg and eThekwini. In eThekwini, a long series of infrastructure maintenance and service delivery failures, coupled with an illegal SAMWU strike, has plunged the City into paralysis.

These systemic service delivery issues have been caused and exacerbated with the coming to power of the ANC/EFF coalitions. Unless residents of these metropolitan areas are rescued from the coalitions of corruption, we will continue to see these cities plunge into even more chaos.

That is why we are pleased to announce today that the final two bills in our trilogy of coalition bills, originally announced in October 2022, have now been introduced into Parliament to regulate coalitions in local governments. These Bills will aim to regulate the following:

  • Extending the time limit to appoint mayors and speakers, from 14 days to 30 days to allow for coalition partners more time to properly negotiate a successful coalition;
  • Insert an electoral threshold that would require parties to obtain a certain number of votes before they can qualify for seats in council;
  • Limit the number of motions of no confidence that can be brought against a mayor or speaker, to once per twelve month period – subject to certain exceptions thereafter.

Today, the DA plans to introduce its five-point intervention plan to rescue residents from the severe water shedding and service delivery collapses gripping Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The five-point intervention plan to rescue Gauteng and KZN is as follows:

  • Introducing the final two Private Member’s Bills of the trilogy of Coalition Bills to regulate and prevent unstable coalition governments.
  • Urgent Call to the President to mobilise the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to make use of their logistical infrastructure and water tankers, as a short term measure, to ensure that those residents most affected by water losses are able to get clean drinking water until the water crisis has been solved.
  • Calling on local and provincial governments to set up and encourage public-private partnership to collaboratively address the water-shedding crisis, leveraging resources and expertise from both sectors to find sustainable solutions.
  • Calling on SAPS to establish a Specialised SAPS Investigating Team to deal with and investigate acts of sabotage contributing to the service delivery collapse and ensure they report back to the Portfolio Committee in the National Assembly on their progress made.
  • Government Support for NGOs and NPOs: The DA will urge the government to onboard and allocate funds to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and non-profit organisations (NPOs) to provide support to the worst-affected areas due to the water shedding crisis, ensuring assistance reaches those in dire need.

Political instability is at the heart of this service delivery crisis and we cannot allow these doomsday coalitions and smaller parties to hold cities to ransom to receive powerful and lucrative positions.

We call on all parties in Parliament to support these Bills when they come to the House for a vote. Once we have a legislative framework for coalition governments, we will be able to hold governments to account for service delivery. These Bills should be passed before the May election in order to prepare the country for possible provincial and national coalition governments.

The DA has a plan to ensure that these parties who do not enjoy the confidence and support of the people are not the ones being kingmakers over major metros.

On the 29th of May, South Africans will have two choices. Vote for a Dooms Day coalition of destruction or vote for the DA and rescue South Africa once and for all.

ANC SG finally supports DA against Copyright Bill

Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Dean Macpherson MP.

The Democratic Alliance in Parliament welcomes yesterday’s announcement by ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, that he will encourage President Ramaphosa not to sign the Copyright Amendment and Performers’ Protection Amendment Bills.

Mr. Mbalula’s support for the DA’s position in Parliament on these Bills has been a long time coming and it is refreshing to see.

For 7 long years, the DA has warned about the dangers of these Bills and how they in fact undermine performers and creators’ ability to protect their works and generate revenue from them. For too long, ANC MPs steamrolled these Bills through Parliament, seemingly under the instruction of the previous and current Secretary Generals of the ANC, ignoring all advice from the DA and industry experts.

The DA also somewhat sympathises with ANC MPs in the Portfolio Committee in Trade, Industry and Competition, as well as MPs in Parliament that have religiously voted and spoken in support of these Bills, who now have to explain to the public that they are in fact in opposition to these bills after all. But that is their circle to square.

The upcoming 7th Parliament provides a perfect opportunity for MPs across the political divide to put a new legislation on the table that will finally safeguard both content creators and producers, as well as providing a legislative framework for companies to invest in our talented artists and performers.

KZN votes for the DA can be the final blow that breaks the ANC’s chokehold on South Africa

Note to Editors: Please see below the speech delivered by DA Chief Whip, Siviwe Gwarube at the official launch of the DA KZN Provincial Manifesto.

Please find attached pictures (here, here, here and here) from today’s DA KZN Provincial Manifesto Pledge event.

Democrats,

The moment we have been waiting for has arrived.

Ixesha lifikile.

Lemini kudala kuthethwa ngayo, ilapha.

We are now officially 75 days away from the election of our lifetime.

I don’t have to impress upon you how important this election is.

Because daily you see this beautiful province going to ruin.

Every time people turn on their taps, switch on their lights, drive on the streets – they can see the decay.

They know the cause of this failure – the African National Congress.

This is a party that is at war with itself; whose broad church has turned into a refuge for thieves and the very worst among us.

So broad this church was, it has birthed the MK party.

While we must welcome the plurality of voices in our democracy; we cannot accept the threat of violence from parties when they do not get their way.

The MK youth leader said they would ensure that there will not be an election if they do not get their way in their battle with the ANC.

These are not just empty words from a wet-behind-the-ears young politician.

The threat of violence is very real to the people of this province.

Over 300 people died during the July riots alone.

Violence that could have been prevented;

Violence that could should have never happened;

The victims of this violence have never received justice for their loss.

And now we have political parties weaponizing that trauma.

We cannot stand for it.

If the security cluster is not paying attention once again; they will be complicit should these threats be acted on.

This is why we need to evict them from the seat of government on May 29th.

Mawaphume amasela eburhulumenteni!

It is possible!

Over 27 million South Africans are registered for this upcoming election.

If we get as many people as possible into voting stations on that day, we can change this government once and for all.

Abantu abatsha heeded the call to get registered.

Umsebenzi asikawugqibi ke. Masiyo vota on the 29th to finally usher in a government that will change the trajectory of this country.

Look around you.

Look at what we have accomplished in uMngeni.

They said it was impossible to unseat the ANC, but we proved them wrong.

Against all odds, against all scepticism, we achieved the impossible.

When everyone said it couldn’t be done, we stood tall and made it happen.

And now, we stand here today, living proof that change is not just a distant dream but a tangible reality.

But our journey does not end here. No, democrats, this is just the beginning.

The winds of change that swept through uMngeni in the 2021 Local government elections can and will sweep through the entire province of KwaZulu-Natal come the 29th of May this year.

But to make this a reality, we must do something different, something bold, something we have never done before.

We must engage with every single citizen of KZN.

We must not just tell them about how awful the ANC is in government.

We must tell them about our offer.

We must tell them about what we have managed to do in 3 three years in uMngeni apho sibolekwe khona ivoti.

We must tell them about our rescue mission.

To get people into jobs;

To get young people into meaningful work.

Akukhonto ibuhlungu ngathi ngungaphangeli komntu omtsha osesemandleni.

We must tell them about how we will lift the 30 million people abasendlaleni out of poverty.

Ukulamba kwabantu is crime.

South Africa is not a poor country. No one should be going without a meal a day.

No child should be dying of hunger; or suffering stunting.

We should tell them about how we will bring back the Scorpions kuzoboshwa abantshontsha imali yabantu.

Futhi asizobayeka. Sebengekho kurhulumente, mababanjwe!

This is the case and the offer we have to make to the people of this province.

But this is not just about KZN – this is about rescuing South Africa.

We know this province brings the ANC the majority of its votes which brings up their numbers nationally.

If we starve them of these numbers here; they will battle to put together 50% nationally.

Back where I come from – ezilalini zakwaMndingi eQonce, abafana belali bayayazi inkunzi yenkomo ibulawa njani.

Uhlaba umkhonto ngamandla, inkomo enkulu iwe.

That is what the people of KZN can be in this election.

You can be the spear that takes down the big buffalo once and for all.

Not just for yourselves but for the future of generations to come.

The choice is simple, but it is yours to make.

Choose hope over despair,

Progress over stagnation,

Choose more of the same or a new government that will put your needs first;

Lend us your vote, and together, let us make history – and finally rescue South Africa.

Global report ranks Nelson Mandela Bay most dangerous city in SA and 9th in the world

Please find attached a soundbite by Andrew Whitfield MP.

According to a recent report prepared by the Mexican Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice (CPSC) Nelson Mandela Bay has now been ranked as the most dangerous city in South Africa. The CPSC is a Non-Government Organisation which has been publishing its annual ranking of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world for the past ten years.

Standing at 78,33 murders per 100,000 people in 2023, Nelson Mandela Bay has slipped into the top 10 most dangerous cities in the world from 24th in 2019 to 9th today, with only cities from Mexico, Haiti and Ecuador being more dangerous. According to the report, Nelson Mandela Bay’s murder rate has increased by a staggering 37% in the last year alone. The DA raised the alarm on NMB’s crime trends last year already when we launched our campaign against crime through our petition.

Whilst the figures from this report are shocking, and lay bare the ANC government’s inability to curb crime in our largest metropolitan cities, the City of Cape Town is the only one that has been consistently achieving improved results year on year. From being the 8th most dangerous city in 2019, the city now finds itself 9 places lower, with a substantial decrease from 2022 to 2023. This proves that the Western Cape Government, in partnership with the City of Cape Town’s LEAP programme are making inroads in the fight against violent crimes in and around the city.

The ANC has showed that the centralised, cookie cutter, model of policing does not work in South Africa while the DA in the Western Cape is proving that devolution of policing powers can work. We need urgent reform of our police management and our policing strategy. We need to bring policing closer to communities and restore discipline and professionalism within the ranks of the SAPS.

The DA will now write to the chairperson of the police portfolio committee to request that the authors of this report are invited to present their findings and insights into the most effective, modern models of policing which have yielded improved results over the past decade.

Stakeholders reject BELA Bill in NCOP Select Committee

The DA has carefully considered the submissions made to the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) by various stakeholders regarding the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill, and we share the same reservations on several key aspects of the Bill.

While we acknowledge the need to update legislation to align with developments in the education landscape and uphold the right to basic education enshrined in the Constitution, we are concerned about the potential implications of certain clauses within the proposed amendments.

There appears to be consensus amongst stakeholders in their rejection of the BELA Bill, with a significant number either opposing the Bill outright or expressing partial support while raising significant objections. These objections include a range of critical issues that must be addressed before the Bill can be deemed suitable for implementation.

Of particular concern are the objections raised against the powers vested in the Head of Department (HOD), especially regarding language and admission policies of schools. We believe that any amendments granting excessive authority to HODs could undermine the autonomy of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) and may not serve the best interests of learners and communities.

While there is support for starting school from grade R, concerns exist about government’s ability to fund this initiative adequately. Some stakeholders argue against compulsory attendance at age six, emphasising the importance of considering individual child development and readiness, and calls have been made to align compulsory schooling with inclusive education principles, particularly for children with disabilities.

Furthermore, the objections regarding the regulation of home education and its curriculum, as well as the central procurement of teaching and learning materials, are valid concerns that need careful consideration. The proposed regulations must strike a balance between ensuring quality education and respecting the autonomy of parents and educators.

It is also disconcerting to note the lack of trust expressed by some stakeholders in government’s ability to implement positive changes in the education sector. This sentiment reflects broader concerns about transparency, accountability, and effective governance within the education system.

The objections raised by religious and faith-based organisations regarding potential infringements on religious principles must not be dismissed lightly. Any legislation affecting education must respect the diverse beliefs and values within our society.

While we recognise the importance of legislative updates to improve educational outcomes and ensure the rights of learners, the DA calls for thorough deliberation and careful consideration of stakeholders’ concerns before proceeding with the BELA Bill. We urge government to engage constructively with stakeholders and address the substantive issues raised to ensure that any amendments ultimately serve the best interests of all South African learners.

DA takes action to have Gordhan account for cancelled SAA/Takatso deal

Please find attached a soundbite by Dr Mimmy Gondwe MP.

Following the inevitable cancellation of the controversial SAA/Takatso deal yesterday by the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, the DA has today written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Hon Khaya Magaxa, to request that Gordhan appears before Parliament, prior to its rising towards the end of this month, and account on the now canceled SAA/Takatso deal.

Gordhan must provide a detailed account, including supporting documents, of the due diligence conducted by his Department on:

  • The valuation of SAA, especially its projected future earnings – indications are that SAA was sold using an undervalued valuation;
  • The viability of the Takatso Consortium as a potential equity partner, especially its ability to raise the required capital to meet the purchase agreements.

Gordhan cannot hide behind ‘changed circumstances’ as an excuse for canceling the SAA/Takatso deal.

He knew it was a bad deal from the beginning hence his insistence on hiding the details of the sale and purchase agreements from the public, including the nefarious attempts to muzzle Parliament through non-disclosure agreements.

In addition to holding him accountable over this dud SAA/Takatso deal, Gordhan must explain how SAA will sustain itself after the 18 month period, through which he says SAA will be able to cover its operating costs. The DA will fight against any attempt to raid the Treasury for another multi billion rand bailout, those freeloading days are over.

There is no strategic need for a state run airline that diverts limited state funding away from the desperate need to stimulate economic growth. SAA must be cut loose and be sold.

180 000 unemployed South Africans lose out as CoGTA dumps R2 billion on ‘middleman’ in the Community Works Programme

Note to editors: Please find attached soundbite by Eleanore Bouw-Spies MP

For a programme that is designed to assist the poor and the unemployed, the Community Works Programme (CWP)– run by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), has a rotten underbelly that is literally taking food from the mouths of the unemployed.

In a written reply to a DA parliamentary question, the Minister of CoGTA – Thembi Nkadimeng, revealed that over the past 5 years, her Department made payments in excess of R2,8 billion to what it calls Implementing Agents (IAs) for the CWP. These IAs are nothing more than NPOs that act as a ‘glorified middleman’ for the CWP.

Using the figures provided by CoGTA, and if the Department had not made use of these ‘middleman organisations’ during the 5 year period, 182 000 more unemployed South Africans could have found short term employment under the CWP. Yet billions of rand meant for their benefit found its way into the accounts of ‘middleman’ organisations.

Between 1 October 2021 and March 2023, one of the recipient organisations for this largesse was the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) which pocketed R59 million. For an organisation that has become a playground for ANCYL functionaries and whose contribution towards creating economic opportunities for the youth is almost non-existent, the transference of money meant for CPW beneficiaries is highly irregular and a waste of taxpayers’ money.

It is not clear how these ‘middleman organisations’ are selected but for the 17 who have been beneficiaries of this windfall from CoGTA, they have – on average, pocketed R165 million each. The fees that are being paid out to these organisations, for playing an administrative function under the CWP, are highly excessive and should at the very least be investigated.

At 42%, South Africa’s unemployment rate has reached crisis levels and it therefore does not make sense to be wasting billions of rand paying a middleman when that money could have been going straight into the hands of the unemployed.

Minister Nkandimeng should stop this unethical practice of using a middleman for the CWP and use the money saved to assist more South Africans who are struggling to find jobs and help support their families. Dumping tens of millions of rand in organisations such as the NYDA, while people are out of work, is immoral and an irresponsible use of taxpayers money.

The DA supports the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill

Note to Editors: The speech below was delivered by Kevin Mileham MP (DA Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy) in Parliament today, during the debate on the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill.

House Chairperson,

There can be no denying the impact 17 years of loadshedding has had on the economic and social well-being of South Africa. 17 years of darkness, cold, and a lack of productivity, that can be laid firmly at the feet of an incompetent ANC government, its deployed cadres, its corrupt practices and its policy incoherence. 17 years in which the unemployment level has spiked to the worst in the world. 17 years in which our economic output has dwindled, and the exchange rate has skyrocketed. 17 years in which Cyril Ramaphosa, Gwede Mantashe, Pravin Gordhan and Ebrahim Patel have had their feet firmly on the neck of a once thriving electricity sector.

And the crisis we find ourselves in is not unforeseen. The bumbling ANC government were warned, as far back as 1998, that sectoral reform was necessary. That new generation was urgently required. Their own White Paper on Energy confirms this!

It is worth noting that the unbundling of ESKOM into separate generation, transmission and distribution entities was first bandied about by President Ramaphosa in early 2019. Later that same year, Hon. Mazzone introduced a private members’ bill – the Independent Electricity Management Operator Bill – which sought to facilitate exactly that.

And while there might have been elements of that Bill which we disagreed about, these could have been negotiated and compromise sought. Instead, the ANC “rejected it with the contempt it deserves” at the motion of desirability stage. Let me unpack that: we could have brought the unbundling of ESKOM forward by 5 years – 5 years! – if the ANC were willing to open their eyes and minds to the concept that not all good ideas emanate from their ranks, and that other parties can and do contribute to the improvement of South Africa.

The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill, although approved by cabinet in April 2023, was only introduced to parliament in August of last year. This despite repeated warnings to the Minister and in this House that the delays in introduction would result in a rush to conclude the legislative process before parliament rises for the election. And so we find ourselves here today: a section 76 bill, which the National Assembly will in all likelihood pass today, which will not be able to be considered by the National Council of Provinces before the end of the 6th parliament. And that means, that it is extremely unlikely that it will be signed into law before the end of 2024.

At its core, this amendment bill seeks to create a new state owned entity – the Transmission System Operator – and to make that entity responsible for the establishment of an open market platform that allows the competitive trading of electricity. Now that’s a very interesting objective and function, enshrined within the bill, because some of the clauses that will be approved today undermine that precise object.

Specifically, by assigning the National Energy Regulator of South Africa the power to “set and approve prices and tariffs” as per clause 5 of the bill, we are, in essence, removing competition from the playing field. It is, in fact, the antithesis of competition. Everyone will have to conform to a price determined by NERSA. And it should be pointed out that NERSA did not want this power – they claimed they lack the capacity to monitor and enforce it.

A further concern relates to the broad powers assigned to the Minister to make determinations for new or additional generation capacity. In the amended section 34, the Minister is granted the power to deviate from the Integrated Resource Plan – the country’s roadmap for electricity generation and procurement – in making these determinations, in an “emergency”, “in the national interest” or when there is a “failure of the market”. But none of these scenarios are defined in the Bill, and therefore it is left to the Minister to determine what they are.

The proposed section 35B sets out offences and penalties in terms of the Act. One of the changes to the draft bill which the ANC pushed through forcefully in committee, is the removal of the word “willfully”. In so doing, it criminalizes even accidental damage, removal or destruction of electricity generation, transmission and reticulation infrastructure, cables or equipment. What this means, is that you would be guilty of a criminal act if you hit a pothole while driving down the road and crashed into a street light. The bill makes no provision for accidental damage or destruction of such property.

The bill further sets the maximum penalty for person (whether natural or juristic) who contravenes the provisions of the Act, or who without lawful authority, damages, removes or destroys transmission, distribution or reticulation cables, equipment or infrastructure at 5 years imprisonment and/or a R1 million fine.

But this is significantly less than a person who receives electricity infrastructure, cables, equipment etc. from a person who they do not have reasonable cause to believe is duly authorized by the owner of those items to deal with or dispose thereof. In this latter case, the penalty is set at a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and/or a R5 million fine.

Chairperson, the portfolio committee had an opportunity to make good legislation. As has become the norm with the ANC, they blew it. We remain concerned that the creation of a Transmission System Operator state owned entity, as envisaged by the bill, does not go far enough to ensure the independence of the unbundled entity.

A World Bank report from 2002 notes that a Transmission System Operator “must be independent of the ownership and control of market participants (e.g. generators, distributors and suppliers).” It goes on to state that independence is required “so that the Transmission System Operator does not discriminate in favor of one market participant over another.”

The Department of Public Enterprises has suggested that independence is unnecessary, given the unbundling of ESKOM into 3 separate entities (generation, transmission and distribution), all housed under ESKOM holdings and with the government as the sole shareholder. But the World Bank has a view on this too: “functional unbundling”, or the idea “that allows the grid operator to remain within a larger power enterprise that owns generation and transmission facilities, but tries to establish detailed conduct rules so that the grid operator will act as if it is separate, even though it really isn’t” is fraught with problems.

It does not work for two reasons: firstly, it conflicts with the normal incentives of any commercial enterprise to try to protect the profits of its parent/affiliated companies”; and secondly, “it is virtually impossible for the regulator to enforce the rules”.

Despite these misgivings, it is vital that the system operator be established and the electricity sector opened up to private sector participation. The Democratic Alliance will support the bill.

DA calls on Minister Patel to address governance crisis in Trade and Industry institutions

On January 2, 2024, I submitted a written question to the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC), Ebrahim Patel, seeking clarification on critical governance issues within Standards, Quality Assurance, Accreditation, and Metrology institutions under his jurisdiction.

The questions raised pertained to the status of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), the presence of acting CEOs, the advertising of vacant CEO positions, and the production of CEO shortlists within these institutions. Minister Patel’s response failed to adequately address these concerns. Instead, he vaguely mentioned consultations with the National Treasury to explore cost reduction measures and potential mergers, offering no concrete timelines or public processes. See the question and reply here.

Regrettably, Minister Patel’s inaction has precipitated a governance crisis within these institutions. As disclosed in yesterday’s Standing Committee on Trade, Industry, and Competition, two vacancies on the Board of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) remain unfilled. This negligence has left these entities operating without full-time accounting officers and board members, imperiling their effectiveness and integrity.

It was only after persistent pressure from the DA that Minister Patel took steps to appoint board members to the SABS, lifting it out of administration. However, the presentation provided by the SABS in Parliament highlighted concerning staff vacancies and unfilled positions, indicative of an incomplete organisational review.

Of particular concern was the presentation of a net profit of R47 million for Quarter One, primarily attributed to savings on staff costs (i.e., staff vacancies), significant reductions in expenditure, and fortuitous gains in financial income. This raises questions about the sustainability and transparency of the institutions under Minister Patel’s oversight.

The DA seeks clarity from Minister Patel on his plans to address this governance crisis. He must take immediate action to fill vacant CEO positions, appoint board members, and ensure the effective functioning of these vital institutions. Failure to do so risks further erosion of public trust and undermines the integrity of South Africa’s standards and quality assurance mechanisms.

We await Minister Patel’s response and urge him to prioritise the stability and accountability of these institutions for the betterment of all South Africans