Buti Manamela Deploys Stabilisation Team to Resolve Cape Town TVET Crisis

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Buti Manamela has announced a decisive intervention at the College of Cape Town for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) following months of governance and management disputes that have unsettled the institution.

Leadership Disputes Undermine Stability

The conflict reportedly involves the college principal, the council chairperson, and two deputy principals. According to Manamela, the internal wrangles have created an “untenable” governance environment that has harmed staff morale, weakened student confidence, and damaged the institution’s reputation.

While the college has achieved progress in several areas—such as securing unqualified audits, improving student certification rates, and forging strong partnerships with industry—these successes have been overshadowed by escalating leadership tensions.

Legal Basis for Intervention

The intervention falls under Section 46 of the Continuing Education and Training Act, which gives the Minister powers to step in when a public college is mismanaged or unable to perform its functions effectively.

Manamela said the stabilisation team would serve as a neutral body to restore order:

• Fact-finding: Investigating the causes and nature of leadership disputes.

• Mediation: Facilitating dialogue between the principal, council chairperson, and deputy principals.

• Recommendations: Advising on corrective action, which may include sanctions, redeployments, or governance reforms.

Composition of the Stabilisation Team

The team will be chaired by a respected retired judge or senior advocate, ensuring independence and credibility. It will be supported by experts in labour relations and higher education governance.

The group will begin its work within seven days, with a mandate to conclude investigations and present findings within 45 days. Importantly, all new disciplinary processes against the principal, council chairperson, and deputy principals will be suspended during this period to prevent further escalation.

Protecting Students and Institutional Integrity

“The intervention is not about taking sides, but about restoring stability, protecting the institution, and ensuring that students are not the collateral damage of leadership conflicts,” Manamela told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday.

The Minister will report back to the committee within two months on the progress and outcomes of the intervention.

Committee Welcomes Firm Action

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, praised the department for acting decisively. “Such attitudes, where leaders treat government institutions as their personal property, have no place in entities funded by taxpayers. We are hopeful the Minister will remain firm and deliver on his commitment to report back within two months,” Letsie said.

Allegations Against the Principal

In a separate clarification, Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, confirmed that the principal is facing 21 formal charges, not 300 as previously alleged. He noted that efforts to implement consequence management have been hindered by the principal’s repeated unavailability to respond to departmental queries.

Call for Accountability

The committee reiterated that the ongoing instability at the College of Cape Town for TVET (CCT) cannot be allowed to disrupt academic success. Members stressed the urgent need to re-establish accountability, stability, and proper governance so that students can learn in an environment free from leadership disputes.

The stabilisation team’s work is expected to provide a turning point for the college, laying the foundation for improved governance and safeguarding its mission to equip students with essential technical and vocational skills for South Africa’s economy.