Question NW855 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
26 April 2024 - NW855
Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(1)(a) What are the reasons that a certain official (name furnished) remains the principal of the Northern Cape Urban (NCUT) Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college, while being the regional manager of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) for the Northern and Western Cape, (b) how long has he been occupying both positions, (c) what (i) is the official employment status of the specified official at the DHET, (ii) is the permanent resident place of work of the specified person and (iii) were the findings of the previous investigations into the specified person’s management at Goldfields and Motheo TVET colleges; (2) what are the reasons that no acting principal has been appointed for the NCUTVET?
Reply:
1. (a) The Principal of Northern Cape Urban TVET College is appointed in that position and only acting as a Regional Manager for Northern and Western Cape Region without interests being raised by the Department to appoint that Principal as the Regional Manager.
(a) (1) The Acting Policy of the DHET indicates that a person may Act in a vacant and funded Post (as in the DHET Acting Appointment Policy section 4.2.2(a) and supported by SMS Handbook Chapter 3 section 10.1 (1)) but instead the DHET is focussing on filling the vacant funded Posts permanently.
a) (2) The Department is under no obligation to appoint any person to act in any non-vacant but funded position as it can decide not to renew the acting period of a person (when the principal is not at the college, the principal appoints an Acting Principal on behalf of the Principal).
b) The person has been in a Principal post for Five years and as an Acting Regional Manager for just above a year in periods.
c) (1) As indicated the person is appointed as Principal within the DHET.
( c) (2) The persons as the Acting Regional Manager work in Northern Cape and Western Cape.
( c) (3) The Principal of Northern Cape Urban has never work at Goldfields TVET College and would not know if there was an investigation and its finding.
( c) (4) The Principal of Northern Cape Urban previously worked at Motheo TVET College and does not recollect being investigated and was unfortunates not informed of the outcome of the purported investigation.
2. This question was responded to in question (1) (a), (a) (1) and (a)(2)