Nkabane: Parties rejecting budget of Higher Education Dept punishing SA students

She said those calling for her head are misogynistic and against transformation in the post-school sector.

Embattled Minister of Higher Education Nobuhle Nkabane said political parties who are rejecting the budget of her department are not punishing her, but rather South African students.

She said those calling for her head are misogynistic and against transformation in the post-school sector.

Nkabane was motivating her budget in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday, where the majority of political parties said she was failing at her job and couldn’t be trusted to manage billions of rands.

She, however, avoided responding to her handling of the appointment of boards for the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA), which has landed her in hot water.

As the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday sought to increase the pressure on Nkabane to step down or be fired, it laid a complaint against her with the police for misleading Parliament.

Hours later, Nkabane faced the DA’s parliamentary caucus, who along with the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), slammed her management of the department and said they didn’t support the budget.

But Nkabane held her ground.

“They are not rejecting the budget of Nobuhle Nkabane. This is not the budget of Nobuhle Nkabane. This is the budget of the people of South Africa.”

In attempts to counter claims that she’s failing to root out corruption in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), Nkabane said she had gone to court to cancel a monthly R2.5 million office lease in Cape Town, and to stop the contracts of payment service providers who don’t deliver.

“When you are against transformation, it irritates a lot when you see such a young woman leading such a huge ministry in your presence.

“It’s misogyny. I understand it, I know where it’s coming from, and worse when it’s a black woman.”

On Thursday, Nkabane can expect more backlash as she moves to the National Assembly to motivate the budget.