Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has stated that he will not be stepping down from his position despite facing corruption allegations.
Nzimande, along with the South African Communist Party and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board chair Ernest Khosa, has been accused of accepting bribes amounting to millions of rands from NSFAS service providers.
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The allegations surfaced last week when the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) leaked a series of recordings suggesting the existence of a corruption scheme within the Higher Education Department and NSFAS.
Calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss Nzimande have been growing in intensity. However, the minister remains resolute in his decision not to resign, stating, “I’m not going to resign…why should I resign? Someone mentioned my name. Minister’s names are dropped everywhere…almost all the time.”
Nzimande has expressed his intention to meet with the president to present his side of the story.
The Democratic Alliance has urged President Ramaphosa to terminate Nzimande’s employment and has called for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to conduct a thorough investigation into the corruption allegations.
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Nzimande has asserted his willingness to cooperate with any investigation targeting him. Furthermore, he has vehemently denied the corruption claims and plans to take legal action against OUTA.
Nzimande maintains that he has nothing to hide and is open to scrutiny: “I don’t have a problem with the SIU if it’s given a proper proclamation to investigate whatever wants to investigate. I have no problems.”
While the pressure on Nzimande continues to mount, he remains steadfast in his position and is determined to defend himself against the allegations. The outcome of any potential investigation will ultimately determine the minister’s future in office.
