Latest news with #NobuhleNkabane
Eyewitness News
3 hours ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Administrative, governance crisis could be averted when NA votes on Appropriation Bill: Analyst
DURBAN - Some political analysts believe an administrative and governance crisis could be averted on Wednesday when the National Assembly votes on the Appropriation Bill. The House sitting comes amid political infighting in the Government of National Unity (GNU), with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and African National Congress (ANC) still not on the same page on some issues not related to fiscal policy. ALSO READ: - Budget 2025: MK Party says it won't support Appropriation Bill - Budget 2025 expected to be settled when Parly sits to vote for Appropriation Bill The DA previously threatened to withhold crucial votes for the departments headed by ministers implicated in corruption, including Minister of Higher Education Nobuhle Nkabane and Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane. Every department's vote must be passed for the bill to pass. Political scientist and lecturer in the Department of Political Studies at Walter Sisulu University, Mbasa Mvenene, said the DA will have to pick the lesser of two evils. 'If they decide to stick to their guns, they'll be accused of putting political optics over public interest. If they decide to prioritise public interests, then they'll be in hot water with their supporters.' Mvenene said the budget process, since the initial budget speech earlier in 2025, has exposed just how fragile the GNU really is. 'The relationship between the DA and the ANC is one that is toxic and one that is transactional. It now seems like they [the DA] are being treated more like a side chick than a partner in a marriage.' Although the worst-case scenario seems less likely now, if the National Assembly doesn't agree, the Public Finance Management Act allows the government to continue spending up to 45% of the previous year's budget to keep services running, but only for the first four months of the financial year. However, no new programmes or changes to allocations can be made until the new budget is approved.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
LIVE: National Assembly debates final budget legislation, DA to support it but MK Party to oppose it
The National Assembly is debating the Appropriation Bill, the final piece of legislation needed to pass the 2025 and 2026 national budget. The National Assembly is debating the Appropriation Bill, the final piece of legislation needed to pass the 2025 national budget. However, the DA said it would vote in favor of the bill following the dismissal of Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, but MK Party said it will not support the bill. The sitting is taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The meeting will include the consideration of the Standing Committee on Appropriations' report on the Appropriation Bill, a debate on the Appropriation Bill, and votes on the schedule of the Appropriation Bill, which outlines the budgets for each department and entity. It will also include the second reading of the Appropriation Bill, which is the final vote on the bill After the conclusion of Budget vote debates in departmental allocations, the National Assembly will consider and vote on the Appropriation Bill. IOL News reported that the DA has made a u-turn, saying that it will support the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Bill after President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to fire Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane over the SETA board appointment saga. The DA said Ramaphosa was forced to yield to sustained pressure from the party to ensure the passage of the bill, which allocates funding to national departments. 'The Democratic Alliance will support the 2025/26 Appropriation Bill following the president's decision to dismiss Minister Nkabane after sustained DA pressure. This decision is the crucial first step in holding compromised ministers accountable,' the party said in a statement. 'While long overdue, the removal of Minister Nkabane confirms that pressure from the DA within the Government of National Unity is yielding results.
IOL News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- IOL News
'I accept the dismissal': Nkabane speaks out after being fired by Ramaphosa
Fired Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane defended her record on the SETA board appointments, stating she was ready with documents to prove her case before being removed from office. Image: Supplied "All the signs were there." That's how former Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane described her reaction to being dismissed from the position by President Cyril Ramaphosa, adding that many people wanted her to be fired from the position. Nkabane said she received a call from Ramaphosa on Monday informing her of his decision while she was on her way to Cape Town for a portfolio committee meeting on higher education scheduled for Tuesday. 'All signs were there…that there are some forces on the ground that want me out of the system,' she told broadcaster eNCA on Tuesday. 'To be honest, I am not even shocked, and I have just accepted the dismissal because the President, in terms of the Constitutional prerogative, has powers and functions. When you look at Section 91.2, he has the right to appoint and dismiss the deputy president, the ministers, as well as deputy ministers.' 'So, I accept the dismissal by the President and I take it positively, and I feel I have been honoured to have been entrusted with such a huge responsibility to lead the Department of Higher Education and Training, and post-school education and the training system entirely.' 'I think I'm a better version of myself than when I came, and I've learned a lot of things.' Nkabane was under fire regarding the appointments of the controversial SETA board chairpersons. The cabinet reshuffle follows growing scrutiny of Nkabane's role in what MPs have described as a 'misleading' explanation to Parliament about the SETA board appointment process. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading The appointments included individuals closely linked to the African National Congress (ANC), such as Buyambo Mantashe, son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, and Dube-Ncube. On Tuesday, IOL News reported that the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education found no formal panel was involved in appointing SETA board chairpersons, contradicting Nkabane's earlier claims. Nkabane previously told Parliament that an 'independent panel' chaired by Advocate Terry Motau oversaw the appointments. Motau, along with others named as panel members, including Nkabane's chief of staff, Nelisiwe Semane, and adviser Asisipho Solani - denied any involvement. All testified that no formal meeting or discussion regarding the appointments had taken place. Ramaphosa has since appointed Buti Manamela, one of Nkabane's deputies, as the new minister of Higher Education and Training. Former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr. Nomusa Dube-Ncube was named deputy minister. Nkabane added, 'But what is very disturbing, that I think I must as well speak about, is that there is a perception that I lied in Parliament. I was looking forward to this day so that I could clear my name.' 'I prepared nicely, files, appointment letters, and everything to prove to myself that I did not lie in Parliament. I am a professional. I am an academic. There's no way I can risk my reputation by lying in Parliament. 'I wanted to go to Parliament and clear my name today, having all the evidence that I followed due processes to make sure that systems are in place. But when the dust has settled, I will get an opportunity to clear my name,' Nkabane added. Meanwhile, Members of Parliament (MPs) said they are considering calling Nkabane, in her capacity as a private member, to explain what led her to appoint ANC-linked members to the controversial SETA boards. IOL Politics
eNCA
7 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
National Assembly debates Appropriation Bill
CAPE TOWN - The National Assembly is debating the Appropriation Bill. This is the last piece of legislation to finally get the 2025 budget over the line. The DA says it will vote in favour after the sacking of Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane. But the official opposition, the MK Party, says it will not approve the bill. eNCA reporter Kevin Brandt has the latest.
Eyewitness News
9 hours ago
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Budget 2025 expected to be settled when Parly sits to vote for Appropriation Bill
JOHANNESBURG - The Budget 2025 mayhem is expected to be settled on Wednesday when Parliament sits to vote on the Appropriation Bill in the last step to finalise what has been a contentious process. The Appropriation Bill sets out allocations to departments from the national budget. A parliamentary legal opinion suggests that the Appropriation Bill can only be passed if all departmental votes have been agreed to. But it won't be fiscal policy in the spotlight on Wednesday, with months of political tensions between the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) overshadowing legislation. Every February, the minister of finance presents a package of budget documents to Parliament, including the fiscal framework and revenue proposals, the Division of Revenue Bill and the Appropriation Bill. Parliament must consider these budget instruments and money bills in that order and according to stipulated timeframes. In the past, it's been a largely seamless process, with the ANC's seats enough to pass all the bills even when the opposition rejected some of them. But after losing its House majority at the last general elections, it's now taken a lot more negotiation to get the budget over the line. After some hiccups with the initial budget speech, the fiscal framework was approved with the DA's buy-in almost two months ago. The Division of Revenue Bill that allocates money to the three spheres of government got the thumbs up, just before new tensions were sparked between the two main coalition parties after the DA's Andrew Whitfield was axed as deputy trade minister. This impasse led the DA to once again put out its bargaining chips, calling for ministers implicated in corruption to be fired or it would reject the Appropriation Bill at Wednesday's sitting. While Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane is out, Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane remains. The DA said Nkabane's firing is sufficient for it to back the budget. What happens in the next few hours will likely be another defining moment for the Government of National Unity (GNU) and the country.
