“I AM not a thief!”
This was the response from Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande against allegations that he was corrupt.
He told a media briefing in Tshwane on Monday, 8 January, that he was considering taking legal action against the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa).
This after it released leaked recordings suggesting that Nzimande and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) board chairman Ernest Khosa were involved in corruption.
”I take the strongest exception to be called a thief, to be taking money away from the poor students. I have no such records,” said Nzimande.
He claimed the allegations were part of a malicious fight back campaign.
“It's our view that the allegations against me as minister and the attacks on the chair of Nsfas Mr Khosa are part of a nefarious fight back campaign that is linked to success and measures I have taken to fight corruption and ensure clean governance at Nsfas,” he said.
He said he wouldn't resign because he knew he didn't do anything wrong.
He said his voice couldn't be heard in the recordings.
“I’m not going to resign. Why should I? I have no need to resign. If you accuse me, come with evidence. My conscience is clear, and I have nothing to hide or fear,” said Nzimande.'
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He accused Outa of releasing the recordings at the time students were preparing to go back to universities and colleges.
“In any case, an organisation like Outa doesn't care about ordinary poor black South Africans. It's an organisation of the elite that serves the interest of the elite,” he alleged.
He said he has decided to submit himself to the relevant legal processes and ethics bodies, including the African Nation Congress’s Integrity Commission and the South African Communist Party’s (SACP) Central Ethics Commission.
Nzimande claimed that his track record in fighting corruption at Nsfas, TVET colleges and the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) speaks for itself.
“My fight against corruption and maladministration dates back since the appointment of the first administrator at Nsfas where disciplinary processes were initiated against some employees following the discovery of some wrongdoing and financial misconduct by these employees,” he said.
He admitted that he did a lot of party-political fund raising for SACP, but he was not permitted to raise funds from entities under his department or knowingly from service providers in that space.
“As minister of higher education science and innovation, I wish to assure the people of our country that I stand firm on my commitment to rooting out corruption and ensuring clean governance at Nsfas and all the entities under my department. And will not allow any organisation or individual to distract me from this task,” said Nzimande.
