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Eye Witness News (EWN) reports that the Pretoria High Court today (Wednesday 1 November 2023) ordered Minister Nzimande to retract his decision to place the University of South Africa (UNISA) under administration.

The timeline of events is as follows: 

A report commissioned by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) into the management of UNISA identified instances of financial mismanagement and maladministration. 

Our sister site – https://www.careersportal.co.za is reporting that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andile Nongogo has been dismissed. 

The National School of Government (NSG) and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the secondment of academic personnel of the UJ to the NSG during their sabbatical leave.

The MoU enables UJ scholars to pursue education and research in line with the education, training and development (ETD) initiatives at the NSG for the duration of their sabbaticals.

The MOU will promote knowledge exchange and resource support, and will greatly enhance the NSG’s interventions in improving State capacity.

The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has confirmed that the Employment Equity Act Amendments (Act 4 of 2022) are not yet implemented. 

Consequently, the small employers who are currently designated employers in terms of the existing Employment Equity Act (1-49 employees and included by turnover under Schedule 4) are still required to submit their annual reports. That is: they are required to complete and submit the EEA2 and EA4 forms.

The following submission dates will apply: (Click title for full report)

Government and its agencies, the Postbank and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), have assured beneficiaries that they will get their social grant payments for the month of September 2023. 

Although Employment Equity (EE) and Broad-based Black Empowerment (B-BBEE) are covered by separate laws and have different objectives, there are similarities. 

Both strategies have transformation, economic inclusion, and advancement of those people previously disadvantaged as their overall goal. 

Both implementation strategies require reporting and scoring mechanisms related to people at work, in employment, and both focus on the positions of people who were excluded from full economic activity, and previously therefore - disadvantaged by apartheid laws.

This FAQ was inspired by media reports that confuse EE and BBBEE.

Employment Equity (EE) and Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) are two entirely different concepts, based on two different statutes, and with different intentions. 

The Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998) has the overall objective of removing discrimination in the workplace. In addition, the act promotes the development to senior and executive positions of people who were previously excluded under the apartheid legislation. 

The anticipation is over and the stage is set. The much vaunted 15th Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) Summit kicks off at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The Summit is held under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism” and is expected to last until Thursday.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has cast the spotlight on investing in young scholars, as a number of academics in public universities are nearing retirement. 

Citing the 2023 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Indicators Report, Nzimande noted that the proportion of staff over the age of 60 increased from 7.3% in 2011 to 10.4% in 2020.  

“This trend implies that public universities will lose about 10% of permanent staff with doctoral qualifications due to retirement within the next five years,” he said. 

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says a total of 53 206 student appeals have been approved for the 2023 academic year, pending registration at a public university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college. 

Briefing media on the 2023 academic year current state of affairs on Monday, NSFAS Board Chairperson, Ernest Khosa, said a total of 6 107 appeals have been rejected for either financial or academic ineligibility, and those students cannot submit any further appeals.