The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns, in the strongest terms, the unprocedural and deeply irregular cancellation of a formally scheduled meeting of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, which was scheduled for the 19 of May 2026. th
This development represents not merely an administrative postponement, but a direct assault on parliamentary procedure, institutional integrity, and the constitutional oversight responsibilities of Members of Parliament.
The meeting in question was lawfully agreed to by Members of Parliament in a duly constituted committee sitting and was subsequently placed on Parliament’s official programme.
It is therefore unacceptable that Members are now being informed, on the eve of the meeting, through informal WhatsApp communication, that the meeting will no longer proceed. Parliament is not governed through WhatsApp messages, informal instructions, or unilateral decisions by Chairpersons acting outside the authority of formal committee resolutions. Parliament is a constitutional institution governed by rules, recorded decisions, collective deliberation, and procedural integrity.
Where a committee has formally resolved to convene, any proposal to postpone or cancel that meeting must itself be tabled before the Committee, debated openly, and resolved collectively by Members in a formal sitting.
No Chairperson possesses the authority to unilaterally reverse a duly adopted committee resolution outside of Parliament’s recognised processes.
The EFF is particularly concerned that this latest procedural irregularity emerges against the backdrop of the Chairperson’s questionable handling of the SETA appointments scandal involving former Higher Education Minister, Nobuhle Nkabane.
South Africans will recall how Parliament was forced to confront serious allegations relating to irregular SETA board appointments, the existence of a purported “independent panel” that was later disputed, and repeated attempts to evade accountability before the Portfolio Committee itself. The matter became so serious that the former Minister was ultimately removed from office following sustained public outrage and parliamentary scrutiny.
It is therefore deeply troubling that the same Committee leadership now seeks to abruptly collapse a duly scheduled oversight meeting through informal communication and procedural shortcuts at the precise moment Parliament is once again expected to exercise oversight over allegations of governance failures, NSFAS irregularities, and executive misconduct by Higher Education Minister, Buti Manamela.
Parliamentary processes are, yet again, being manipulated to shield the Executive from scrutiny whenever accountability becomes politically inconvenient. The EFF rejects any attempt to convert parliamentary committees into protective shields for delinquent Ministers and politically connected individuals.
Portfolio Committees exist to hold the Executive accountable to the people of South Africa, not to manage, suppress, or delay accountability processes on behalf of those in power.
For the first time, a meeting formally agreed to by majority Members and officially scheduled on Parliament’s programme is being withdrawn outside of a formal committee sitting. This undermines institutional consistency and raises serious concerns about the erosion of Parliament’s procedural integrity.
If allowed to stand, this conduct will establish a dangerous precedent where oversight meetings can simply be cancelled at the last minute through informal communication whenever accountability becomes uncomfortable for the Executive. This constitutes an attack on accountability itself.
The EFF therefore calls for the urgent intervention of the Speaker and the Chair of Chairs. The authority, credibility, and constitutional standing of Parliament depend on the consistent application of its rules, irrespective of political convenience or executive discomfort. The EFF will not remain silent while parliamentary processes are undermined, and oversight mechanisms are deliberately weakened to shield the Executive from accountability.
The EFF aims to represent the interests of the working class and the poor.
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