By: Bright Ntuli
The Department of Higher Education and Training has appointed new administrators to take over the leadership of several Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) that have been plagued by governance failures and operational instability.
Matjie Masoga has been appointed as the administrator of the Services SETA, Dithabe Nkoane will oversee the Construction SETA, and Zukile Mvalo will head the Local Government SETA.
Deputy Minister Buti Manamela cited deep-rooted governance failures, including procurement irregularities, financial mismanagement, and board-level instability, as the primary reasons for the interventions. These issues, he said, have severely compromised the SETAs’ ability to fulfil their core mandate, providing skills development and training to support South Africa’s labour market needs.
Department spokesperson Matshepo Seedat said the newly appointed administrators are tasked with restoring good governance, enforcing accountability, and ensuring that key training programmes continue without disruption.
“It is critical that learners and workers are not negatively affected during this transition period,” she added.
The intervention comes as SETAs remain a crucial component of South Africa’s broader skills development framework, particularly in addressing high youth unemployment and bridging the gap between education and the workplace. The Services SETA, for example, supports training in fields such as real estate, cleaning, and hairdressing, while the Construction SETA plays a vital role in the development of artisans and skilled workers in the infrastructure sector. The Local Government SETA focuses on building capacity within municipalities and local government structures.
