Manamela sets up stabilisation team at College of Cape Town

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has announced the establishment of a stabilisation team to address governance and management disputes at the College of Cape Town for TVET.

Briefing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, on Wednesday, Manamela said disputes involving the principal, the council chairperson, and two deputy principals had

destabilised the college, undermining staff morale, student welfare, and the institution’s reputation.

While the college continues to perform well in certain areas, such as unqualified audits, improved student certification rates, and strong industry partnerships, the Minister said the governance environment has become “untenable.”

The intervention is being implemented under Section 46 of the Continuing Education and Training Act, which empowers the Minister to act where a public college is mismanaged or unable to perform its functions effectively.

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

Its mandate includes:
•    Conducting a fact-finding process into governance and leadership disputes;
•    Mediating between the Principal, Council, and Deputy Principals; and
•    Recommending corrective steps to the Minister, including possible sanctions, redeployments, or reforms to strengthen governance.

“The team will begin its work within seven days and is expected to conclude within 45 days. Pending its recommendations, all new disciplinary processes involving the principal, the council chairperson, and the deputy principals will be suspended to prevent further escalation,” Manamela said.

He stressed that the intervention was not about “taking sides” but restoring stability, protecting the institution, and ensuring that students are not the collateral damage of leadership conflicts.

Manamela is expected to report back to the portfolio committee within two months on the progress and outcomes of the intervention.

Committee Chairperson, Tebogo Letsie, has welcomed the department’s decisiveness on the matter, saying it was evident that the principal regarded the institution as his own “until we called him to order.”

“Such attitudes have no place in government institutions that are funded by the taxpayers of this country. As the committee we are hopeful that the Minister will remain firm in his decision and report back within two months on the progress and outcomes of the stabilisation team, as promised,” Letsie said.

Over 20 charges brought against principal

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, clarified that the principal is facing 21 charges, not 300 as alleged.

Sishi also noted that the department’s attempts at consequence management have been frustrated, as the principal is often unavailable to respond when required.

The committee reiterated its position that the ongoing instability at CCT cannot be allowed to compromise the academic success of students and called for urgent steps to restore stability, good governance, and accountability at the institution. – SAnews.gov.za