Gert Sibande TVET College HR Manager Admits Employing Foreign Nationals Illegally

• A Portfolio Committee oversight visit to Gert Sibande TVET College in Mpumalanga exposed serious recruitment violations involving foreign nationals
• The college's HR Manager admitted that candidates were not vetted against the Employment Services Act before appointments were made
• Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie read the law aloud to the HR Manager during the visit, confirming the appointments were illegal

MPUMALANGA — A routine oversight visit to Gert Sibande TVET College by the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education turned into a public reckoning on 3 August 2026, after the college's HR Manager, BJ Dlongolo, admitted that foreign nationals had been hired without following the legal requirements of the Employment Services Act.

Portfolio Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie led the questioning, pressing Dlongolo on the recruitment process used when filling vacancies at the institution. The HR Manager acknowledged that shortlisting and interviews were conducted, but conceded that the college had not verified whether qualifying South African candidates were available before appointing foreign nationals.

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Section 8 read aloud to HR manager

Letsie read Section 8 of the Employment Services Act directly to Dlongolo during the visit, citing two key provisions. The first states that an employer may not hire a foreign national without a valid work permit issued under the Immigration Act. The second requires employers to first confirm that no suitable South African candidates exist before recruiting from outside the country.

"Do you understand what that means?" Letsie asked the HR Manager. "In any case, it's illegal what you guys did. It's against the law."

Dlongolo confirmed the assessment, responding:

"Correct, Chair. It's against the law."

The visit also surfaced allegations that Dlongolo himself was employed as a senior HR practitioner without holding the qualifications required for the role, raising further questions about how the appointment was processed internally.

Watch the Portfolio Committee confront the HR Manager at Gert Sibande TVET College:

South Africans react with frustration

The video, posted on X by @mbuso_siera, drew immediate public reaction.

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@Nanization wrote:

"Unlawful appointment means the employee must be dismissed and the HR manager be disciplined with a dismissal outcome from the hearing. He literally sold the country."

@AppollisPe69411 said:

"This is an issue for litigation because they keep having these talk shops and no one gets dismissed. We need the courts to decide if these appointments were unconstitutional."

@GGGG28_ posted:

"I'm tired of this… they keep talking and talking with no consequences. These people know what they are doing! They do this deliberately."

@Nobuhle_Pila questioned:

"The youth of this country are enrolled in these institutions. They see firsthand the rot that is happening there on a daily basis, yet they are mute. Who will fight for this country if the so-called future leaders are so 'nonchalant'? Where are the unions?"

@Thokoza89164520 raised:

"I'm just wondering what provincial management's advice was after the submission of the shortlisted candidate and the submission of the interview results, or did they also not notice something wrong?"

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Student talks jobs with Cyril Ramaphosa

In a related article, Briefly News reported on a candid conversation between an electrical engineering student and President Cyril Ramaphosa during a door-to-door campaign in Mpumalanga. The student expressed the challenges of securing employment in South Africa, emphasizing that job opportunities often hinge on personal connections rather than qualifications.

Source: Briefly News