CETA administrator faces charges over self-approved R3 million salary
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training, Karabo Khakhau, opened a charge against Ceta administrator Oupa Nkoane for contravening the Public Finance Management Act in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
The DA filed charges against Oupa Nkoane, the administrator of the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), for allegedly fraudulently approving his own annual salary of R3 million.
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training, Karabo Khakhau, opened a charge against Nkoane for contravening the Public Finance Management Act in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.
Nkoane declined to comment, stating that he “did not want to comment on the politics of the DA”.
CETA spokesperson, Jabulani Jiyane, said “The administrator is aware of the DA laying charges and will cooperate with the law enforcement agencies.”
Last week, the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training was shocked by revelations that Nkoane, who was appointed to address governance and administrative challenges at the CETA, unilaterally determined and approved his own R3 million salary package, without the Department of Higher Education (DHET) or the minister's authorisation.
This follows a protected disclosure by suspended CFO Sanele Radebe to the National Treasury, in which he alleged the salary package did not comply with national guidelines.
Higher Education and Training Minister Bhuti Manamela approved a R2.5 million pay package in January, but the committee heard that Oupa Nkoane had already been paid in December.
The committee said the salary paid between October 2025 and March 2026 constituted irregular expenditure.
“When confronted about this matter in Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Nkoane admitted to the salary creep citing his own financial reasons,” Khakhau said.
She said that this practice amounts to a criminal contravention of Sections 86 (2) read with sections 50 (1)(b), 50 (2)(a) and (b), 51(1)(b)(ii) and 51(1)(h) of the Public Finance Management Act.
Khakhau added that the DA's criminal complaint alleges that Nkoane willfully and in a grossly negligent manner contravened the PFMA for his personal gain.
“He failed to act with honesty and integrity, and with absolute care of the finances of the SETA. He failed to act in the best interest of the SETA, which in itself is a breach of the PFMA because that is what an accounting officer is supposed to do,” Khakhau said.
“Unable to put food on the table for themselves and their families, while on the other side, you have an entity that is responsible for skills development in our country, acting like there's no law and order in our country.
“That is wrong. It is something that can never go unanswered,” Khakhau said.
“The SAPS has opened a case and will now move to assign an investigating officer. We demand a full criminal investigation and urgent steps to recover any lost public funds.”
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training, Karabo Khakhau, opened a charge against Nkoane for contravening the Public Finance Management Act in Cape Town on Tuesday morning.
Image: Theolin Tembo/Independent Newspapers
Khakhau said that the DA warned against his appointment and maintains that Nkoane was the wrong choice for the appointment.