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Buti Manamela is the new minister of higher education and training after President Ramaphosa sacked Nobuhle Nkabane.
New Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela. Picture: Gallo Images / Lefty Shivambu
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s shake-up of the higher education and training ministry sees a different approach to his last forced appointment.
Unlike the scenario with Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, the president opted to promote a deputy when replacing under-fire Minister Nobuhle Nkabane on Monday.
One of the two deputy ministers in the higher education portfolio, Buti Manamela, replaces Nkabane, while Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube was appointed his replacement as deputy.
Five things on Manamela
The Limpopo native has held positions in the upper echelons of national governance since Jacob Zuma’s presidency, bringing more than a decade of experience as a national deputy minister.
He was a student union activist
The 46-year-old Manamela cut his political teeth in the Congress of South Africa Students and the ANC Youth League in the nineties.
He helped launch the South African Students’ Congress at Mamelodi College and also served as President of the South African College Students Association.
After his tertiary studies, he continued his union work as an organiser for the South African Catering, Commercial and Allied Workers’ Union.
Spoke out on cadre self-enrichment
Manamela was the inaugural National Secretary of the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), which he helped form in 2003.
This began his rise through the South African Communist Party (SACP) ranks, where he currently occupies a seat on SACP’s central committee.
During a SACP speech in 2012, Manamela expressed his disdain for cadres who had used their positions for self-enrichment.
“The petit bourgeoisie and the BEE beneficiaries post liberation are good for nothing and have failed to translate their personal economic empowerment into a general economic empowerment,” stated Manamela.
Defended Zuma
Manamela’s first role in the national government came after Jacob Zuma assumed office in 2009, where he served on both the Communications and Economic Development portfolio committees.
At the beginning of Zuma’s second term, he was appointed Deputy Minister in the Presidency under the National Planning, Performance, Monitoring, and Evaluation portfolio.
He was a staunch supporter of Zuma in his first term, telling critics to ‘’look in the mirror” in 2012, and rebuked then-leader of the DA Mmusi Maimane for his criticism of Zuma’s policies in 2017.
“Radical economic transformation, focusing on the land question, shall push ahead, with or without your support,” said Manamela.
Working with the youth through Seta and Nsfas
As deputy minister of higher education, he will be tasked with restoring credibility to Sector Education and Training Authorities (Seta) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas).
His previous utterances show an ability to speak to youth issues and have advocated for the prioritisation of youth opportunities.
“Young people matter. Their contributions to this country and the world have been historic. Youth development cannot be taken seriously if youth workers are not taken seriously,” he said in 2016.
Praised Ramaphosa and supported by ANC
Manamela gave a speech following Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address in 2023, where he praised the president for his dedication to the vision of ANC icons.
“Without doubt [Sona] inspired hope that the foundation of a future South Africa can only be built by the dreams of Madiba and Sobukwe and the dreams of those to whom the torch was handed,” he said.
The party was quick to congratulate Manamela on his appointment, as well as that of Dr Dube-Ncube.
“The ANC is confident that this new leadership team will advance access, equity, and quality in the higher education sector,” the party stated on Monday.
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