Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has sent a message to former Higher Education Minister Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, saying she must show humility and stop “chewing gum in meetings and be humble” if she hopes to make a political comeback.
Nkabane was fired this week by President Cyril Ramaphosa and replaced by her former deputy, Buti Manamela.
Her dismissal follows a controversial series of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board appointments that included individuals with strong links to the African National Congress (ANC), such as Buyambo Mantashe, son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, and Dube-Ncube.
Malema said the fallout shows Nkabane was not prepared to be a minister and mishandled the appointment process.
“Well, it’s so painful. You know, she’s so young. She still has a chance to come back. I’ve seen people get demoted politically, then go work on themselves and come back,” Malema said during a press briefing in Cape Town ahead of the EFF’s anniversary celebrations in Khayelitsha on Saturday.
“The first thing she must do is stop chewing gum in a meeting. She was still doing it even yesterday in Parliament,” he added.
“The second thing is she must be humble and know what she doesn’t know – and be prepared to be guided by proper people.“
Parliamentary committees have accused Nkabane of misleading MPs over the SETA appointments.
She previously told the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education that an “independent” panel led by Advocate Terry Motau handled the process. Motau later denied any involvement.
“You made a terrible mistake. You lied about people, including Advocate Motau. And Motau comes and says, ‘Who, me? I’ve never done that.’ And all of that,” Malema said.
Malema criticised Nkabane’s decision to skip a scheduled parliamentary committee meeting, where she was expected to explain the controversial appointments.
Instead, she attended a gender-based violence (GBV) event at a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in the Eastern Cape, which is a portfolio that is typically overseen by the deputy ministers.
“She goes to a GBV program of a TVET college, when TVET colleges are the responsibility of a deputy minister… Who couldn’t go to the TVET college because there was a committee of Parliament here?”
Nkabane sent a last-minute apology, which was rejected by the committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie.
Malema claimed that Nkabane was being misled by poor advice.
“Someone from the streets is misleading her. She’s listening to someone who has no idea what we’re dealing with,” he said.
Last month, a video widely circulated on social media showing Nkabane refusing to answer basic questions about what constitutes a “credible” appointment, while chewing gum and referring Letsie to “Google it” rather than explaining her decisions.
“There are certain things you don’t do in Parliament. And she should have known that,” Malema said. “Google it?… That was childish. Extremely girlish. Childish.”
Malema also claimed that Director-General Nkosinathi Sishi misled Nkabane.
“She must never trust that DG. That’s a man. There’s a big problem there,” he said.
“He worked with Blade Nzimande (former minister of Higher Education and Training), and Blade is still bitter about being removed from higher education.”
Malema alleged that Nzimande, who served in the role before Nkabane, still seeks to destabilise the department.
“He will do anything and everything to undermine whoever is in that institution. He even asked former #FeesMustFall activists why the protests did not continue after he left,” Malema said.
“She was not ready to be a minister,” Malema said.
“It’s not too late. She must go back to the ANC branch, learn, and come back prepared.”
Politics
