Higher education & training minister Buti Manamela has referred governance and leadership concerns at the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT Seta) to the National Skills Authority for assessment.
The referral follows recent developments relating to the Seta’s accounting authority and executive management, including the resignation of senior executives. The department did not say who has resigned, or what prompted the departures.
The referral involves an institution with a documented history of governance trouble. The Seta, which funds learnerships and skills programmes across the ICT sector — from software development to drone pilot training — appeared before parliament’s higher education portfolio committee in March last year to account for a Special Investigating Unit report into irregular discretionary grant allocations made between 2014 and 2018, which led to disciplinary steps and cases being opened against former employees.
The same hearing aired boardroom dysfunction: the Seta’s chairman at the time described a remuneration committee that convened 10 meetings in eight months during an earlier term and pushed to make appointments beyond its mandate — leading, he said, to several resignations — while MPs questioned R1.6-million spent on board members’ travel and subsistence.
Board instability has a paper trail, too. Two of the accounting authority’s 13 seats stood vacant in early 2025, and in August last year the Seta reopened nominations for the new accounting authority — the body now at the centre of the minister’s referral, whose term runs to 31 March 2030.
Comprehensive report
“The minister has referred the matter to the National Skills Authority to conduct a rapid governance assessment and advise on a way forward. The assessment will establish the relevant facts, evaluate governance processes and identify any interventions necessary to safeguard institutional stability, service delivery and good governance,” the department of higher education & training said.
The department said governance issues must be addressed promptly, objectively and in accordance with the law, given the MICT Seta’s strategic role in South Africa’s post-school education and training system.
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Manamela expects the skills authority to engage all relevant stakeholders and provide an interim briefing on urgent matters, followed by a comprehensive report with recommendations within the prescribed timeframe.
The referral forms part of a broader programme to strengthen governance, accountability and institutional effectiveness across the sector education and training authorities as government implements its Skills Revolution programme. “The objective is to ensure that every Seta remains focused on its core mandate of developing the skills required for inclusive economic growth, industrialisation and employment creation,” the department said.
Manamela emphasised that the referral should not be interpreted as a finding against any individual or institution, but rather reflects “government’s commitment to resolving governance concerns through transparent, fair and evidence-based processes”.
The department said it will not speculate on matters subject to assessment and will consider the National Skills Authority’s recommendations before deciding whether further action is necessary. It said the MICT Seta’s work — including support to learners, employers and skills development programmes — is expected to continue without interruption during the process. — SANews, with additional reporting (c) NewsCentral Media
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