Parliament’s portfolio committee on higher education and training chair, Tebogo Letsie, is seeking answers from embattled NSFAS administrator Prof Hlengani Mathebula on how controversial former Daybreak Foods chair Bojane Segooa found a soft landing at the state-owned student funding entity.
This was after Sunday World broke the story last week that Segooa, who left Daybreak with a cloud hanging over her, had resurfaced at NSFAS.
This newspaper can exclusively reveal that Letsie has since written to Mathebula, demanding explanations on how Segooa was appointed, going further to seek clarity on the process followed before her appointment.
Golden handshake controversy
Segooa, whose R600K payout from Daybreak when she left remains a subject of great controversy, is now a member of the all-important audit and risk committee that will play an oversight role on the expenditure of the R60-billion budget for NSFAS for the 2026-2027 financial year.
“The committee’s concern is grounded in the obligations placed on accounting authorities under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), No. 1 of 1999, in particular section 51(1)(a), which requires that an accounting authority ensure that the entity has and maintains effective, efficient, economical, and transparent systems of financial and risk management,” Letsie drives the point home in his letter to Mathebula.
“Given that the Audit and Risk Committee performs a central role in NSFAS’s risk oversight, the fitness and propriety of its members is a matter of direct relevance to the entity’s governance and to public confidence in the NSFAS turnaround.
“What due diligence was conducted on Ms Segooa’s tenure as chairperson of Daybreak Farms prior to her appointment, including in relation to the R625 000 payout made while staff reportedly went unpaid and livestock unfed?”
Letsie wants Mathebula to account
Letsie has instructed Mathebula to account for four broad areas, namely, the recruitment process; due diligence, fit, and proper assessment; conflicts of interest; and process integrity.
In the recruitment process scope, Letsie wants Mathebula to provide clarity on whether or not the ARC vacancy was advertised before Segooa’s appointment.
On due diligence, Mathebula has been called upon to explain if any verification was sought by NSFAS from the Public Investment Corporation, as a shareholder in Daybreak, regarding governance concerns arising during Segooa’s chairmanship.
‘Fit and proper’ requirement
Letsie also wants to know if the “fit and proper” requirement contemplated in Treasury Regulation 27.1.8 was followed to the letter in the case of NSFAS onboarding Segooa.
Ultimately, the lingering questions are about the integrity of the process that was followed, or lack thereof, before Segooa found herself at NSFAS.
“You are reported to have indicated that you would seek a legal opinion on this matter following the appointment. Please clarify why this was not sought prior to the appointment being made, and whether the appointment will be suspended pending the outcome of that opinion,” Lestie tells Mathebula.
“What steps, if any, does NSFAS intend to take to reassure stakeholders of the independence and credibility of the Audit and Risk Committee in light of the concerns raised?
“Given the significance of NSFAS’s recovery to the broader post-school education and training sector, the Committee trusts that you will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves.”
- Tebogo Letsie, chair of Parliament's higher education committee, is demanding answers from NSFAS administrator Prof Hlengani Mathebula about the controversial appointment of former Daybreak Foods chair Bojane Segooa to NSFAS's audit and risk committee.
- Segooa's previous R600,000 payout from Daybreak Foods, amid governance concerns and unpaid staff/livestock issues, has raised serious questions about her suitability for the role overseeing NSFAS’s R60 billion budget.
- Letsie seeks clarity on the recruitment process, due diligence, fit and proper assessments, conflict of interest checks, and overall integrity of Segooa's appointment.
- He questions why a legal opinion on Segooa’s appointment was not obtained beforehand and whether her appointment will be suspended pending this legal review.
- The committee emphasizes the importance of ensuring the credibility and independence of NSFAS's Audit and Risk Committee to maintain public trust and the entity’s effective governance.
Parliament's portfolio committee on higher education and training chair, Tebogo Letsie, is seeking answers from embattled NSFAS administrator Prof
Segooa, whose R600K payout from Daybreak when she left remains a subject of great controversy, is now a member of the all-important audit and risk committee that will play an oversight role on the expenditure of the R60-billion budget for NSFAS for the 2026-2027 financial year.
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"Given that the Audit and Risk Committee performs a central role in NSFAS's risk oversight, the fitness and propriety of its members is a matter of direct relevance to the entity's governance and to public confidence in the NSFAS turnaround.
"What due diligence was conducted on Ms Segooa's tenure as chairperson of Daybreak Farms prior to her appointment, including in relation to the R625 000 payout made while staff reportedly went unpaid and livestock unfed?"
Letsie has instructed
In the recruitment process scope, Letsie wants
On due diligence,
Letsie also wants to know if the "fit and proper" requirement contemplated in Treasury Regulation 27.1.8 was followed to the letter in the case of NSFAS onboarding Segooa.
Ultimately, the lingering questions are about the integrity of the process that was followed, or lack thereof, before Segooa found herself at NSFAS.
"You are reported to have indicated that you would seek a legal opinion on this matter following the appointment. Please clarify why this was not sought prior to the appointment being made, and whether the appointment will be suspended pending the outcome of that opinion," Lestie tells
"What steps, if any, does NSFAS intend to take to reassure stakeholders of the independence and credibility of the Audit and Risk Committee in light of the concerns raised?
"Given the significance of NSFAS's recovery to the broader post-school education and training sector, the Committee trusts that you will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves."
