FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, 08 September 2026

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, today met with the Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Mr Leonard Lekgetho, and his team to receive a comprehensive update on investigations into allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption and other forms of wrongdoing across the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector.

The investigations arise from Presidential Proclamations issued in terms of the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act, 1996, and cover several institutions and entities within the PSET system.

These include the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), the National Skills Fund (NSF), the University of Fort Hare, the Vaal University of Technology and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority. The SIU has also completed investigations involving a number of TVET colleges and Sector Education and Training Authorities.

Some of the matters arise from proclamations issued more than a decade ago, reflecting both the longstanding and, in certain instances, legacy nature of the wrongdoing being addressed. The investigations cover allegations of irregular procurement and expenditure, fraud, maladministration, conflicts of interest, the misuse of skills-development funding and matters affecting the integrity and awarding of qualifications.

The Minister was briefed on completed and ongoing investigations, findings made, public funds recovered or secured for recovery, losses prevented, civil proceedings instituted and matters referred for criminal, disciplinary or regulatory action.

The SIU’s briefing recorded, among other outcomes:

• more than R2 billion in actual NSFAS-related recoveries from universities and TVET colleges;
•  acknowledgements of debt worth approximately R5.4 million arising from the University of Fort Hare investigation;
•  an acknowledgement of debt for approximately R2.7 million, plus interest and costs, arising from the Rubicon Communications matter involving the National Skills Fund, with repayments under way; and
•  an estimated R109 million in future expenditure prevented following the cancellation of a security contract at the Vaal University of Technology.

“The work of the SIU is critical to restoring integrity across the Post-School Education and Training sector. Where public resources have been misused, there must be consequences. Where wrongdoing is established, those responsible must be held accountable. Where money can be recovered, it must be recovered and redirected to its intended purpose,” Minister Manamela said.

The Minister cautioned that these amounts must not be viewed merely as financial figures.

“Behind every rand lost or misused is an opportunity denied to a student. Every skills-development programme that is funded but not delivered robs a young person and our economy of an opportunity. Any qualification improperly or fraudulently obtained undermines the integrity of our education system and devalues the qualifications of those who have worked hard to earn them. We cannot allow this to continue unchallenged,” the Minister said.

Minister Manamela committed the department to acting on SIU recommendations requiring changes to policy, systems, governance arrangements and institutional controls.

“We must not only investigate what went wrong; we must fix the systems that allowed it to happen. If an investigation identifies weaknesses in our policies, procurement systems, governance arrangements, financial controls or oversight mechanisms, we must be prepared to correct them. Accountability must result in institutional reform.”

The department will strengthen its monitoring of all SIU matters in the portfolio, including the implementation of systemic recommendations and the progress of civil, criminal, disciplinary and regulatory referrals.

Affected accounting authorities, institutional councils and management structures will be expected to account for the action taken in response to SIU findings and recommendations.

The Minister emphasised that the SIU must be provided with the necessary information, cooperation and institutional space to conduct its work independently and without interference. At the same time, preliminary findings must not be presented as final determinations, and the rights of all affected parties must be respected.

The engagement forms part of the department’s broader programme to strengthen governance, consequence management and accountability across the PSET system. The department will continue to cooperate with the SIU, law-enforcement agencies and other competent authorities in pursuing corruption, fraud and maladministration.

“Our ultimate objective is to build a PSET system in which public resources are protected, institutions are properly governed, qualifications retain their integrity and students can have confidence that the system is working in their interests,” Minister Manamela added.

Minister Manamela also congratulated Mr Lekgetho on his appointment as Head of the SIU, effective from 1 September 2026, and assured him of the department’s continued cooperation.

The department and the SIU will continue engaging on the progress of ongoing investigations and the implementation of recommendations arising from completed investigations.

Enquiries:

Matshepo Seedat, Spokesperson to the Minister of Higher Education and Training on 082 679 9473

@HigherEduSpox

ISSUED BY THE DIRECTORATE: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATION ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING