'It was never my intention to evade accountability or undermine parliament — Nkabane

Higher education minister Nobuhle Nkabane has accepted that her conduct was wrong when she appeared before a portfolio committee in parliament this week.

TimesLIVE on Thursday reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa had asked Nkabane to write him a report on her conduct when she appeared in parliament and refused to answer questions relating to the process she followed on the appointment of chairs of sector education and training authorities (Setas). 

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, on Thursday revealed that Nkabane had been requested to submit a detailed report on the appointment process, as well as an explanation of her conduct before the portfolio committee. 

Nkabane's demeanour was deemed disrespectful when she refused to answer questions and referred the chair of the committee to Google for answers to a question she was asked.

Nkabane was criticised for appearing to be nonchalant and seemingly chewing gum the entire time she was before the committee.

“Upon reflection, and having considered the feedback received from various stakeholders, I acknowledge that the situation could have been handled differently. I take this opportunity to express my commitment to strengthening the relationship between the ministry, the department, and the portfolio committee,” said Nkabane in a statement released by her department.

Ramaphosa had taken issue with Nkabane's behaviour and wanted her to explain herself as he believed government officials should always uphold standards when appearing before structures such as parliament. 

Magwenya said Ramaphosa expected ministers, deputy ministers and senior executives in the public sector to conduct themselves professionally, transparently and cordially in engaging parliament and other accountability structures.

In her statement, Nkabane said she had intended to maintain what she said was a “constructive, respectful and professional” working relationship with parliament.

“I remain committed to the principles of accountability, good governance and co-operative governance as outlined in our constitution and parliamentary protocols,” she said. 

“It was never my intention to evade accountability or undermine the decorum of parliament. I will continue to lead with humility, and I value the critical role of parliament in providing oversight to ensure our sector delivers effectively for the benefit of all South Africans.”

TimesLIVE