She faced tough questions from members of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, who sought clarity on the legal grounds for the move.

Nkabane maintained that the initial appointments were conducted in line with South African legislation, particularly the National Skills Development Act and the Bill of Rights in the Constitution.

“Equality before the law and the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. Freedom of association, where everyone has the right to freedom of association, as well as political rights, where everyone has the right to make political choices,” said Nkabane.

“Against this background, Honourable Members, it is very important to indicate that indeed we complied with this legislative imperative in our efforts to make sure that we were compliant with the law when we were processing these appointments,” she added.

Nkabane reiterated that her department remains committed to ensuring legal compliance and transparency in all appointments.

--ChannelAfrica--