Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has called for a major shift in how government measures the success of skills development programmes.
Manamela made the call during his recent appearance before Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, where he outlined the need for stronger accountability across the post-school education and training sector.
Skills Programmes Must Track Learner Outcomes
The Minister said government should track learners beyond enrolment and programme completion to determine whether public investment in skills development is producing meaningful outcomes.
This includes establishing whether learners entered employment, continued with their studies, started businesses or gained skills that improved their livelihoods.
“A learner who enrolled must be counted as enrolled. That does not mean that the learner completed, qualified or entered employment,” Manamela said.
He said this approach should form part of the implementation of the Skills Revolution and inform reforms to Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), the National Skills Fund (NSF) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
“Public investment must be judged by the opportunities it creates for people, not only by participation recorded in a report,” the Minister said.
SETAs and National Skills Fund Face Reforms
Manamela said SETA reforms should strengthen employer participation, improve grant management and support learner progression.
He said the National Skills Fund must balance its developmental role with reliable project oversight and verified delivery to ensure that funded initiatives achieve their intended outcomes.
TVET Colleges Must Link Training To Work Opportunities
For TVET colleges, Manamela said reforms should connect relevant programmes with capable lecturers, modern facilities and opportunities for workplace experience.
He also stressed that community education must remain part of the programme and “not an afterthought.”
Turning to universities, the Minister said government must continue protecting access and quality while addressing financial sustainability and governance challenges.
“For universities, we must safeguard access and quality while confronting financial sustainability and governance pressures.”
NSFAS Funding And Student Support
Manamela also addressed the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), saying sustainable funding and reliable administration must be addressed together.
He said funding policy must be supported by effective funding decisions, appeals processes, accommodation arrangements and allowance payment systems.
“As we prepare for the next academic year, this work must produce practical assurance: correct funding decisions, functioning registration systems, safe accommodation, and timely allowance payments.
“We must identify risks early and resolve them before students carry the cost. Readiness must be demonstrated through tested arrangements, not declared through general assurances that everything will be in place,” Manamela said.
Greater Accountability For Irregular Expenditure
The Minister also called for greater clarity when government reports on irregular expenditure.
He said a “declining register does not, by itself, prove that money was recovered or that non-compliance was prevented”.
According to Manamela, reporting should clearly distinguish between money actually recovered, investigations, referrals, authorised write-offs and other adjustments. Appropriate consequences should also follow where wrongdoing has been established.
Government To Track Progress On Audit Findings
To strengthen implementation across the higher education and training portfolio, Manamela said he will require a consolidated response that links recommendations from the Auditor-General with current findings and outstanding commitments from Parliament's previous Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report.
“Each significant matter must have an accountable official, a deadline, an interim safeguard where needed and evidence of completion,” he said.
The Minister said the Ministry will regularly review progress, while internal audit functions and audit committees will be expected to test whether commitments have been implemented rather than simply record assurances.
“Parliament must receive complete, timely information on what has changed and what remains outstanding. Our responsibility is to make these arrangements work between parliamentary appearances, not only when we prepare to attend them,” Manamela said.
