South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday dismissed his embattled higher education minister, just weeks after a key party in his unity government filed criminal charges accusing her of misleading parliament.
The decision comes as Ramaphosa faces growing pressure over allegations of corruption involving several ministers from his African National Congress (ANC), threatening stability within the country’s 10-party ruling coalition.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the coalition, earlier this month accused Minister Nobuhle Nkabane of lying to parliament to conceal the “fraudulent” appointment of ANC-linked individuals to boards overseeing higher education.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from the role of Minister of Higher Education and Training,” the presidency announced in a statement late Monday. Her dismissal follows her repeated failure to appear before parliamentary committees to address the controversy.
The DA, which joined the government after the ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 due to widespread public frustration over corruption and mismanagement, has said that unethical behavior has become “standard practice” under Ramaphosa’s leadership.
The party has also filed corruption charges against Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane, alleging involvement in a fraudulent billing scheme linked to the state power utility, Eskom.
In a further blow to the administration, Ramaphosa was forced to suspend his police minister on July 13, following explosive claims by a provincial police chief who alleged the minister had accepted payments from a corruption suspect and collaborated with organized crime.
South Africa currently ranks 82nd globally on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, reflecting persistent governance challenges in the continent’s most industrialized economy.
AFP
