Zukile Mvalo Stands Firm as Local SETA Administrator

When Zukile Mvalo was appointed administrator of the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA), his name immediately sparked debate. Some critics labelled him part of the problem, not the solution. But Mvalo, who also serves as the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Deputy Director-General for Skills Development, has stepped forward to defend his record.

Political Heat Over Appointments

Mvalo wasn’t the only one in the spotlight. Alongside him, former Limpopo legislature Deputy Speaker Lehlogonolo Masoga was appointed as administrator of the Services SETA, while former Emfuleni municipal manager Oupa Nkoane was placed in charge of the Construction SETA.

The trio’s appointments triggered resistance strong enough that Minister Buti Manamela asked the Public Service Commission (PSC) to vet them, amid growing calls for the decisions to be reconsidered.

Opposition voices, particularly from the DA’s Karabo Khakhau, argued that Mvalo’s eight-year track record overseeing all 21 SETAs left little hope of reform. “He has failed at stabilising SETAs for the past eight years, and has no prospect of fixing anything suddenly now,” Khakhau said.

Mvalo’s Defence: Clean Audits and Skilled Artisans

In response, Mvalo pointed to what he describes as real progress in the sector. He highlighted a rise in clean audit outcomes – from seven SETAs in 2022/23 to ten in 2023/24, while qualified audit findings declined. “This shows overall improvement in governance and accountability across the system,” he said.

He also noted that entities under his skills development branch had performed strongly. The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations, for example, achieved nine consecutive clean audits, while the National Skills Authority has delivered three clean audits in a row.

Beyond the books, Mvalo stressed impact on the ground: over 402,000 workplace-based learning opportunities facilitated and nearly 71,000 artisans trained in the past four years, with an impressive 81% securing jobs after their apprenticeships.

The Governance Question

Mvalo pushed back against the perception that SETAs fall directly under the department’s control. He clarified that SETAs are Schedule 3A public entities under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), each with its own board and CEO responsible for governance and accountability.

“The role of the department remains one of oversight, as legislated,” he explained, emphasising that interventions like placing SETAs under administration are last-resort measures.

A Divided Public Conversation

Reaction to Mvalo’s defence has been divided. On social media, some South Africans applauded the artisan training numbers, noting the country’s dire need for skills-based employment opportunities. Others, however, remained sceptical, pointing to persistent scandals and inefficiencies in certain SETAs as proof that oversight is still failing.

Mvalo’s appointment and the scrutiny that comes with it, highlights a deeper problem: the fragility of public trust in South Africa’s skills development institutions. While clean audits and artisan graduation rates make for encouraging statistics, communities will ultimately judge Mvalo and his colleagues on whether young people can actually find sustainable work.

For now, Mvalo remains adamant: the system is improving, and critics should recognise progress instead of writing it off. Whether South Africans agree is another story.

{Source: IOL}

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