The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire, with immediate effect, Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, claiming “brazen” cadre deployment appointments to the boards of the sector education and training authorities (Seta).

The DA accused Nkabane of allegedly misleading Parliament, when she stated that the panel tasked with appointing the Seta boards chairpersons consisted of independent people, and subsequently informed Parliament that they were not independent at all.

The DA has accused Nkabane of lying to Parliament to try and cover up African National Congress (ANC) cadre deployment appointments to the boards.

In a letter addressed to Ramaphosa, DA Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training member Karabo Khakhau said once public pressure mounted, Nkabane made an effective admission of her infringements by withdrawing the appointments.

“Mr President, you have a lying Minister in your Cabinet, who has been caught red-handed. It is time for you to Fire Minister Nobuhle Nkabane with immediate effect, and to replace her with a Minister committed to making higher education work, not committed to making work for ANC insiders,” she said.

Last week, the party filed a supplementary ethics complaint against Nkabane and announced its intention to escalate the matter to Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka.

The party accused Nkabane of allegedly misleading Parliament, and claimed she lied to Parliament, violating the ethics code as a Minister.

“What followed was a series of lies. Her first lie to Parliament, to underplay her own involvement, was that an ‘independent panel’ had chosen the successful ANC cadres - deflecting attention from her.

“But the vague and evasive explanation demanded details, names and identities. Minister Nkabane was put on terms to come clean to Parliament and declare to the Portfolio Committee about who sat on this ‘independent panel’ and in her reply, Minister Nkabane once again lied. For a second time, she lied to Parliament,” Khakhau stated.

She claimed that Nkabane abused the name of a senior legal expert Advocate Terry Motau, claiming that he chaired her independent panel.

“Advocate Motau exposed that Minister Nkabane was not telling the truth, and since then Nkabane has publicly declared that she was wrong about Motau,” Khakhau pointed out.