The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande intends to appeal the court decision on the matter which was heard by the Labour Court (Johannesburg) on 20 February 2020 relating to the placing of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) under administration.
Minister Nzimande will immediately appeal the judgment as he has been advised that there are good prospects that another court may agree with his decision to place the CETA under administration (and set aside the findings of the Labour Court).
Minister Nzimande said that CETA has been dysfunctional for a long time and the process of putting it under administration would allow a fair process of dealing with allegations of corruption as some of the CETA board members are implicated in corruption and maladministration allegation in relation to the CETA.
The placing of the CETA under administration is also meant to restore the functionality of the CETA.
“Whilst individuals have a right to go to court, in this case it is clear that we may be seeing what has become the source of the rot in many state owned entities.
When some board members of state entities choose to go to court against government it often happens when they start developing their own individual interests that are separate and often in conflict with the mandate of such entities, said Minister Nzimande.
Minister Nzimande said often such behaviour and court challenges are informed by corrupt intentions and attempts to hide lots of shenanigans. This is what often has been at the heart of state capture that has been unfolding in a number of state entities in recent times.
“I also want make it clear that no amount of legal or any other delaying tactics are going to divert me from getting into the bottom of what seems to be very serious rot in the construction SETA. The intention of placing the CETA under administration is precisely aimed at getting into bottom of these matters, nail the culprits and in the process also help to clear those who are clean but often get wrongly implicated in such matters,” emphasised the Minister.
The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Science and Technology, after its hearings on the CETA matter late last year, further urged the Minister to take decisive action against the officials responsible for irregularities in the CETA and also to consider the possibility of dissolving the CETA board due to its failure to exercise its fiduciary responsibilities with diligence.
Enquiries:
Ishmael Mnisi
Cell: 066 037 8859
E-mail: Ishmael.Mnisi@dst.gov.za
Issued by
More from
More on
