Member of Parliament Sihle Lonzi removed from the meeting for questioning DG about Mantashe's son appointment. Image: SA Parliament
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has issued a statement condemning the removal of their member Sihle Lonzi during the sitting of the South African Parliament on Wednesday, 14 May 2025.
During the sitting, EFF MP Lonzi enquired if the Director General (DG) of the Department of Higher Education is aware of “nepotistic appointments” allegedly made to the Sector and Training Authority (SETA) boards. The nepotism accusations were referring to the appointment of Buyambo Mantashe, the son of Gwede Mantashe, the African National Congress (ANC) Chairperson and Mineral Resources minister, as chairperson of the MERSETA board.
The EFF criticized Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee Tebogo Letsie for allowing the DG to respond disrupted proceedings and requested parliamentary sercurity to remove Lonzi from the meeting.
According to the EFF, this undemocratic measure violently suppressed accountability and violated MPs’ political rights to oversee the executive. The EFF said Lonzi’s only crime was demanding accountability while exposing what he described as “cadre deployment” and corruption, also adding that this has become the defining feature of the ANC’s relationship with public institutions.
EFF also stated that Letsie failed to uphold the integrity of Parliament and accused him of acting as a shield for corruption while protecting ANC leaders from scrutiny However, the ANC has denied the EFF’s claims in a written statement, claiming that there is a coordinated plan to attack Letsie.
They argued that Lastie was fulfilling his duty as the chairperson of the meeting to ensure that the committee’s agenda proceeds without any inconveniences.
The ANC shared that Lonzi arrived late to the meeting and interrupted proceedings, and he played the victim card when he was called to order.
The ANC also added that the committee remains committed to holding all entities accountable and ensuring the voices of students and stakeholders are heard and considered. They also encouraged members of the public and media to focus on the facts and the work done by the committee.
About the Author
