Cyril Ramaphosa Unhappy With Nobuhle Nkabane Over Parliamentary Conduct, SA Says She’ll Be Promoted

• President Cyril Ramaphosa has demanded a full report from Nobuhle Nkabane over her conduct in Parliament
• The Minister of Higher Education refused to answer questions while chewing gum during proceedings
• South Africans don't believe anything will happen to her, and instead believe she will be promoted

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

WESTERN CAPE - President Cyril Ramaphosa is unhappy with Nobuhle Nkabane, but South Africans don’t think anything will be done.

The president took issue with the Higher Education Minister’s conduct in Parliament and has ordered her to provide a full explanation for her behaviour.

The minister went viral for her conduct during a portfolio committee sitting, as she nonchalantly chewed gum while responding dismissively to committee members.

When responding to one question, Nkabane arrogantly replied that the Portfolio Chairperson should check Google for the answer.

President orders Nkabane to account for her attitude

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that Nkabane’s conduct not only became a talking point online but also caught the eye of the president.

"The president has requested the minister provide him with a detailed report on the decorum and substance of her engagement with parliament," Magwenya said.

He added that the president also wanted answers about the appointment process of SETA chairpersons. The initial list of appointments sparked outrage as a few members were connected to the African National Congress, including Gwede Mantashe’s son.

The appointments were later retracted, but the minister claimed that it was due to the public outcry, and not because there was anything wrong with the process. The Economic Freedom Fighters earned a lot of praise following the scrapping of the appointments, as the party's Sihle Lonzi was quite vocal about the issue.

South Africans joke that Nkabane won't be punished

South Africans weighed in on the president's order, but many felt that nothing would happen to the minister. Some joked that it would be a stepping stone for her career.

Bryan Charles Judd said:

“If she plays her cards right, she will be the Minister of Police next week.

Pretty Mdu speculated:

“She'll be promoted to speaker of Parliament.”

Dali Mothebe added:

“He will just redeploy her to another department. To them, ANC unity is more important than the country.”

Sibusiso Mazibuko stated:

“She will get a promotion. The ANC will redeploy her to a higher position.”

Boti Magezi said:

“Ramaphosa is harmless. The arrogant minister is safe.”

Tebogo Lebo Kekana-Sebapu added:

“Don't hold your breath. We know he won't do anything. She knows it as well.”

What you need to know about Cyril Ramaphosa

In December 2012, Cyril Ramaphosa was elected deputy president of the ANC at the party’s leadership conference, serving under Jacob Zuma, who was both ANC president and South Africa’s head of state. Following Zuma’s re-election in May 2014, Ramaphosa was appointed deputy president of the country.

He faced many challenges, including the persistent energy crisis and widespread corruption that had become synonymous with the ANC. Internally, Ramaphosa also had to contend with resistance from a strong faction within his party, forcing him to compromise on several key issues. One such example was land reform, where he adopted policy positions he had previously resisted to address long-standing racial inequalities in land ownership.

In June 2022, Ramaphosa was accused of criminal conduct by Arthur Fraser, a close ally of Zuma and former head of the State Security Agency. Fraser alleged that Ramaphosa had concealed the 2020 theft of at least $4 million in undeclared foreign currency stored in a couch at his Phala Phala game farm. He further claimed that the suspects were kidnapped and bribed to keep quiet. The incident raised serious concerns about the source of the money and whether it had been lawfully declared.

Minister denies chewing gum

Briefly News also reported that Nkabane defended her conduct in parliament, after many criticised her for chewing gum.

The Higher Education Minister went viral for her conduct during a Portfolio Committee sitting on Higher Education.

Nkabane denied chewing gum, and said that she was eating, and also slammed the criticism levelled against her.

Source: Briefly News