Keypoints:
- Nkabane sacked for misleading parliament
- DA files charges over ANC-linked fraud
- Police and housing ministers also under fire
SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has fired Higher Education Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, the latest move in a widening anti-corruption drive shaking his fragile coalition government.
The decision, announced late Monday, follows criminal charges filed by the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing Nkabane of lying to parliament to protect ANC-linked appointments to national education boards. She had failed to attend key parliamentary sessions to answer for the claims.
‘President Cyril Ramaphosa has removed Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from the role of Minister of Higher Education and Training,’ the presidency said in a statement, confirming her dismissal.
The DA, the second-largest party in South Africa’s unity government, alleges that Nkabane helped cover up fraudulent appointments of ANC loyalists. The scandal has sparked uproar within the ten-party coalition formed after the ANC lost its majority in 2024.
Mounting legal action rattles cabinet
The DA has stepped up pressure on ANC ministers, filing separate corruption charges against Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane over alleged fraudulent billing schemes involving Eskom, the country’s embattled power utility.
‘The public deserves accountability and an end to political protection rackets,’ a DA spokesperson said.
Ramaphosa, who campaigned on promises of clean governance, has come under fire from civil society groups for not acting swiftly enough to remove ministers facing serious allegations.
Police minister suspended in separate scandal
On July 13, Ramaphosa suspended Police Minister Bheki Cele after a provincial police chief accused him of accepting bribes from a known corruption suspect and colluding with organised crime. Cele has denied the allegations.
The suspension followed a bombshell testimony that further fuelled questions about the ANC’s role in undermining law enforcement credibility.
With three ministers now embroiled in scandals, pressure is mounting on Ramaphosa to hold his government together while preserving public trust.
Coalition at crossroads
The ANC’s long-standing dominance has been curtailed by growing public frustration over unemployment, electricity blackouts, and service failures. The 2024 elections delivered a stinging rebuke, forcing Ramaphosa into an uneasy alliance with the DA and several smaller parties.
But the president’s reform agenda now risks unravelling under internal ANC resistance and coalition infighting. Analysts warn that the DA’s aggressive anti-corruption stance may embolden reform but destabilise the political pact.
‘Ramaphosa is walking a tightrope—trying to appease voters while keeping a shaky alliance intact,’ said political analyst Zanele Ndlovu.
The purge of Nkabane may signal a new phase of zero tolerance, but it also exposes the deep fractures within South Africa’s ruling coalition as it grapples with cleaning up its own house.
