Picture: Vuselela TVET College (Taung campus)
By REGINALD KANYANE
4 August 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Tebogo Letsie said Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, if properly managed and adhered to their legislative mandate, could be an important response to the country and industry skills needs. Speaking during the committee’s oversight visit to Gert Sibande TVET College in Standerton, Mpumalanga on Monday, Letsie said these institutions should be used to their full potential to address skills needs as well as access to higher education.
“If they do what they are supposed to be doing, these institutions can be the country’s response to access to higher learning, our universities do not have enough spaces to accommodate the thousands of young people who pass matric every year, we need to move to occupational studies as a response to country and industry needs for skills.
“The committee also recommended that TVET colleges in the various locations across the country should partner with industries, ensure that the curriculum was aligned with industry needs and avoid producing outdated skills that might not be needed and could negatively affect students when looking for work,” he said.
However, Letsie warned that acts of poor leadership, mismanagement and other forms of breaking the law could threaten TVET colleges from realising their full potential. He further said during yesterday’s visit to Gert Sibande, college management and the Department of Higher Education struggled to respond to the committee’s oversight questions on filling of vacancies, employment of foreign nationals in non-scarce skills positions, as well as what seemed to be confusion in the recruitment process of the college principal.
“The committee wanted to know why so many senior positions were occupied in acting capacity. The recruitment process for the principal was halted after the panel raised concerns about the legality of the requirement of the Nyukela Senior Management Service pre-entry certificate as well as why foreign nationals were employed in posts that were not classified as scarce skills.
“Another question which the committee demanded an explanation on was the reinstatement of an official who was dismissed after being found guilty of tampering with marks, but got her job back after appealing with the department,” added Letsie.
He said having an acting principal and other senior posts occupied in acting capacity is causing instability in the leadership of the institution. Letsie said they would like the department to look into that and address the situation.
“The issue of foreign nationals employed in non-scarce skills jobs is in violation of the Employment Service Act. It is against the law and we are not xenophobic, but we are protecting the laws of the country. Both the college leadership and the department committed to provide comprehensive written responses to the committee on all the raised concerns.
“Today, the portfolio committee will conduct oversight to Nkangala TVET College in Emalahleni,” he said.
The Guardian 