Former higher education and training minister Nobuhle Nkabane has been appointed as the ANC’s deputy chief whip.

• Nobuhle Nkabane has returned from the political wilderness.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa recently fired her as minister of higher education and training.
• He axed her after a series of blunders she made as minister.

The ANC has appointed Nobuhle Nkabane as its deputy chief whip in Parliament.

She replaces party veteran Doris Mpapane after the latter was elected as chairperson of the newly-constituted portfolio committee on the Presidency.

The ANC in Parliament announced Nkabane’s appointment on X on Thursday.

The party said Nkabane brought a wealth of experience, as she held several academic qualifications, including a PhD from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Nkabane’s return to parliamentary work comes after a turbulent period in her political career.

She was dramatically removed as minister of higher education and training by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025 following a major controversy over her handling of the appointments of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) board chairs.

READ | Ramaphosa buckles under DA’s demands – fires Nkabane, saves the Budget

Opposition MPs criticised her for misleading Parliament about the existence and composition of a selection panel for these appointments, with some calling for her immediate dismissal.

The controversy intensified when Nkabane allegedly claimed that advocate Terry Motau had chaired the appointment process – a claim Motau denied publicly.

This led to a list of politically-connected SETA board chairs, including ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe’s son, being withdrawn following public backlash.

READ | Legal opinion finds former minister violated NSFAS Act in board appointments

A legal opinion found that Nkabane, as minister, had also flouted the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Act when she made board appointments.

News24 reported, in late 2025, that two advocates advised Nkabane’s successor, Buti Manamela, to bring a self-review application to set aside Nkabane’s “unlawful and irregular decision”.

The legal opinion said the board was constituted in “circumstances where the three seats reserved for student representatives were vacant at the time of appointment”.

Nkabane’s new parliamentary role is considered less powerful than her previous ministerial position.