“ASKING how much my wife bought her bra was demeaning” says the troubled Higher Education Department Minister Dr Blade Nzimande.
He was addressing media following corruption allegations levelled against him and that SACP benefited.
This after the organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) leaked a series of recordings alleging there’s a corruption scheme operating within the department and the National Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and its board.
The organization claims Nzimande, SACP, and Nsfas board chair Ernest Khosa received millions of rands in kickbacks from service providers who were awarded multi-million rand tenders to administer direct payments to students.
But this was vehemently denied by Nzimande, saying Outa must produce hardcore evidence.
“This is a smear campaign against me and I’m consulting my legal team for advise,” he told media on Monday in Pretoria, also insisting he will not resign.
“I will take this matter to both the ANC Integrity Commission and SACP’s central committee for evaluation. I will not resign for I‘ve done nothing wrong f+%l,” he said.
“I can tell you it was demeaning to have to answer questions on how much is a bra for my wife, and her personal belongings. It was hard,” quipped Nzimande, whom as a result missed the ANC’s 112 birthday celebrations in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
Allegations are both Nzimande and his deputy Buti Manamela are at odds.
Outa stands by its report and recordings.
These disturbing news come weeks before higher learning institutions open their academic year, that has seen thousands of students applications for funding being turned down, as a result of budget cut.
Coinvest mentioned in the allegations did not reply for a comment.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has opened a criminal case against Nzimande in Cape Town, today.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said his party will mobilise at campuses across the country to force President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Nzimande.
“When a minister commits corruption or undermines the cabinet, it is the job of a real leader to deal with that person decisively. President Ramaphosa cannot outsource that responsibility to some toothless committee populated by ANC cadres, many of whom are just as tainted as the person they are supposed to investigate.”
Steenhuisen said the Nsfas board must also be declared delinquent over the corrupt and irrational direct payment and student accommodation tenders.
“This legal action is in keeping with the findings of the state capture commission, which made a clear recommendation that it should become standard practice to declare board members, involved in capture and corruption, as delinquent.”
Image (In hot water. Higher Education Department Minister Dr Blade Nzimande).
