The South African Students Congress (SASCO) is one of a growing number of organizations and individuals calling for the resignation of Dr. Nobuhle Nkabane, but one political analyst says she should not be fired alone while other ministers accused of corruption remain. SASCO, which has joined parties such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss Nkabane.

Nkabane is facing mounting allegations of corruption and misleading Parliament about the process used to appoint the SETA board members - a list which was dominated by African National Congress (ANC) affiliates, including the son of Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, Buyambo. Addressing the media on Sunday, SASCO President Alungile Amtshe said Nkabane had failed students on multiple fronts, including by failing to appoint a National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). "The crisis facing students today is not incidental.

"It is the direct consequence of poor governance by the Department of Higher Education and Training and the university and college management's opportunistic, malicious, and poor bourgeoisie agenda," Amtshe stated. "We contend that within the government of national unity, DHET, led by Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, has consistently failed to deliver on its most fundamental responsibilities, from the catastrophic delays in NSFAS disbursements to the flawed appointment of strategic boards meant to accelerate access to education and training," Amtshe also criticised the chronic underfunding of institutions that serve working-class communities and accused university managers of treating higher education as a profit-driven enterprise.

“These managements are complicit in the systemic exclusion of Black and working-class students, perpetuating a two-tier education system that serves capital, not the people,” he said. He added that SASCO has no choice but to take a “drastic stance” and called for Nkabane’s immediate removal. In the meantime, Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, a political analyst, stated to IOL News that calls for Nkabane's firing appear selective, pointing out that other ministers accused of corruption remain in office. “There have been mounting calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Nkabane, but what are they saying about Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane? It will be unfair to focus on Nkabane while ignoring others,” Mngomezulu said.

When Simelane was mayor of Polokwane, he allegedly borrowed R575,600 from the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank to buy a coffee shop in Sandton. She has since denied any wrongdoing and was later moved from the Justice and Constitutional Development Ministry to Human Settlements. Simelane also faced scrutiny for alleged inflated billing linked to a R700,000 Eskom contract, which she vehemently denied. Another minister under fire is Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, the minister in the presidency, who was under the Hawks investigation for R2.5 million in alleged tender fraud dating back to her time in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, in Limpopo. The allegations have not prompted her to respond. However, she has been defended by ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, who stated that the party would only respond if it had "something tangible."

The controversy intensified following public outcry in May after Nkabane recommended several politically connected individuals for the SETA boards. In addition to Buyambo, those who were appointed included former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr. Critics have accused Nkabane of political patronage and misleading Parliament regarding the selection process. She later withdrew the list of appointees; however, calls for her dismissal have grown. President Ramaphosa did not remove Nkabane during his Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, despite mounting criticism. Instead, Ramaphosa dismissed DA Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield, over an unauthorised overseas trip.