(Photo: Hennie Stander/Unsplash.com)
The DA demands urgent answers from the chairman of the portfolio committee on higher education and training after more than R630 million in discretionary grants could not be accounted for at the Sectoral Education and Training Authority (SETA).
Karabo Khakhau, the DA’s deputy spokesperson for higher education and training, says the auditor-general’s findings could not substantiate almost R637.6 million in expenditure on grants due to missing records. Auditors also apparently could not have confirmed the validity of the expenditures.
“These funds were intended to support critical skills development programmes, including scholarships, internships and work-integrated learning opportunities for young South Africans. Instead, they have disappeared in practice without proper oversight or accountability.”
According to Khakhau, this is an administrative failure and direct betrayal towards young people who rely on SETA to gain access to training and employment opportunities.
The auditor general further exposed systemic management failures, including poor record keeping, material misrepresentations in financial reporting and a complete breakdown of internal controls.
Khakhau says despite massive spending, key performance targets have not been met, with some programs using as little as 22% of their allocated budgets.
“This raises serious questions about whether funds were not only mismanaged, but possibly misappropriated. Equally worrying is the apparent absence of consequence management. The report suggests that no consistent disciplinary action has been taken against officials responsible for irregular or wasteful expenditure.”
The DA has meanwhile written to the chairman of the portfolio committee on higher education and training and requested that the entity’s leadership immediately appear before the committee to “account for this lack of management”.
This party also demanded full accountability from SETA’s executive leadership, as well as the council.
“We will press for a comprehensive explanation of how such a large amount of public money can be spent without adequate records, and what steps will be taken to recover any lost funds,” says Khakhau.
She emphasizes that the SETA system increasingly looks like a massive scheme for misappropriation where billions disappear, and with ANC appointments at the highest levels.
“South Africans deserve a skills development system that is transparent, efficient and focused on creating opportunities. The DA will not allow this matter to be swept under the rug,” says Khakhau.