President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane not to leave the country, effectively excluding her from a trip to China.
As controversy grows over her decision to appoint ANC-aligned individuals as chairpersons of Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas), Nkabane was meant to leave for China on Friday.
Sunday World understands that Ramaphosa sent Nkabane “a stern instruction not to leave the country”.
She received the news while already at the OR Tambo private lounge beaming with excitement to visit the communist country.
Nkabane was supposed to be part of the political delegation, led by deputy president Paul Mashatile, due to follow a team of officials already in China.
Instead Nkabane’s director-general Nkosinathi Sishi will represent the department.
Nkabane sidestepped the question about the grounding but confirmed her department will be represented by the DG.
“DG is in China to support DP (Mashatile),” she said.
A insider close to Nkabane confirmed that the minister was stopped from going to China.
“Yes the minister was already at OR Tambo, she was told she is going anywhere,” said the informant.
Another source told Sunday World that Nkabane has lost favour with the president and is likely to get the chop soon.
This as Ramaphosa is said to be toying with a cabinet reshuffle given many scandals by his ministers including police minister Senzo Mchunu.
It is believed that the ANC national officials have discussed Nkabane’s future in the national executive and majority agree that her constant blunders are costly to the ANC.
“Nkabane’s luck has run out at this point. I don’t see her surviving this,” a source close to the matter said.
Nkabane was due for another round of grilling by MPs during her appearance before the portfolio committee on higher education and training this week, but that sitting was postponed due to the death of former deputy president David Mabuza.
Committee chair Tebogo Letsie told Sunday World the majority of MPs voted for the Nkabane’s meeting to take place on Friday.
The minister finds herself in hot water after four members of the recommendation panel for Setas distanced themselves from the appointment of ANC-linked members.
Legal heavyweight Terry Motau, Nkabane’s chief of staff Nelisiwe Semane, the higher education deputy director-general of corporate services Rhulani Ngwenya, and chief director of Seta coordination Mabuza Ngubane have written to Letsie, further explaining that they were not paid for their services to the panel.
Nkabane’s advisor and staunch loyalist, Asisipho Solani, is the only panellist who furnished the committee with the terms of its reference and appointment letter.
However, he failed to mention what work, if any, was done by panellists, but reiterated he was also not paid.
The most embarrassing denial came from Motau, who went on a media tour to set the record straight. He stated that he was approached by Solani to chair the panel; however, the correct legal channels were not followed, hence his decision to decline participation.
This led to Nkabane apologising for listing the legal eagle as chair of the five-member panel when he was never officially hired for the job.