EFF heads to court to challenge Manamela’s Seta board appointments

The battle over South Africa’s skills bodies has landed in court.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is taking Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, arguing that his recent appointments to several Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards are unlawful and should be set aside.

It’s the latest twist in a saga that has already cost one minister her job.

A ministry under scrutiny

President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Manamela after firing former minister Nobuhle Nkabane, who had been accused of corruption and irregularities linked to Seta board appointments. She was also accused of misleading Parliament about how chairs were selected and how appointment panels were constituted.

The Seta system designed to address South Africa’s chronic skills shortages, has long been controversial. Critics argue it is bloated, costly and vulnerable to political patronage.

Now Manamela finds himself under similar pressure.

What the EFF is challenging

At the heart of the EFF’s case is the process used to appoint eight Seta chief executives. In total, there are 18 Seta chairs and CEOs across the country.

According to the EFF’s court application, the newly constituted accounting authorities responsible for recommending the CEO reappointments had barely settled into their roles. The boards reportedly met only once to review five years’ worth of performance history before recommending extensions and were allegedly given less than 24 hours to evaluate and finalise their decisions.

EFF MP Sihle Lonzi argues this made the process procedurally unfair and irrational. The party is asking the court to review and overturn the appointments under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), or alternatively under the constitutional principle of legality.

Among the CEOs whose appointments are being questioned are Yershen Pillay (Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority), Ayanda Mafuleka (Financial and Accounting Services Seta), Felleng Yende (Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta), Gugu Mkhize (Insurance Seta), Matome Madibana (Media, Information and Communication Technologies Seta), Thabo Shadrack Mashongoane (Mining Qualifications Authority), Tom Mkhwanazi (Wholesale and Retail Seta), and Nokuthula Selamolela (FoodBev Manufacturing Seta).

Billions spent, little impact?

The stakes go beyond internal boardroom politics.

A recent study found that while Setas cost taxpayers around R20 billion annually, they reportedly reach only 0.6% of the workforce. For many South Africans battling unemployment, that statistic stings.

On social media, the debate has split along familiar lines. Some defend Manamela, arguing continuity is necessary to stabilise institutions that have been plagued by scandal. Others say the system itself has become a recycling ground for politically connected insiders.

DA MP Karabo Khakhau has publicly criticised the appointments, claiming they fail to inspire confidence and alleging some appointees have questionable track records in previous public roles.

A deeper question about accountability

When Manamela appeared before Parliament’s portfolio committee last year, he said the new boards had a clear mandate: restore integrity, enforce consequence management and ensure students and workers are not prejudiced.

The EFF’s legal action now tests whether that commitment can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Beyond the courtroom drama lies a bigger issue. South Africa’s youth unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world. The very institutions meant to equip people with skills for the job market are under fire for inefficiency and alleged political interference.

If the court rules against Manamela, it could trigger another leadership shake-up in a department already bruised by scandal. If it upholds the appointments, critics may see it as proof that reform must come from within, not through litigation.

Either way, the case shines a spotlight on a system many South Africans barely understand, yet one that consumes billions of rand meant to prepare the country’s workforce for the future.

For now, the final decision rests not in Parliament, but in the hands of the court.