Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe today announced her intentions to hit the ground running after receiving and studying her delegations from the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane.

Delegations are any powers and functions the Minister may assign the Deputy Minister in terms of legislation.
In terms of her delegations, Dr Gondwe has been given oversight and responsibility for the following areas in the higher education and training sector:

1.    Women Representation and Gender-Based Violence
2.    Oversight over Private Universities
3.    Oversight over Work-based Learning Programmes and
4.    Legal Matters
5.    Oversight over Three SETAs: Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), Energy and Water Sector Education Training Authority (EWSETA) and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing SETA (FP&MSETA).

“I am excited to have received these broad delegations from the minister. The task ahead is vast and South Africans are rightfully impatient for us to be seen to be making a difference in the post-school education sector. As such, I must get on with my allocated tasks and responsibilities immediately.

Deputy Minister Dr Gondwe urged all stakeholders in the sector to take up President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Opening of Parliament invitation to become weaver birds in constructing the future South Africa we all envisaged.

“I recognise that I cannot do this work on my own. My principle is to be accessible, available and accountable so I invite stakeholders who have ideas on how we can collectively tackle the challenges in this area to come forward with their ideas and solutions to achieve what needs to be accomplished,” the Deputy Minister said.

Dr Gondwe, who has holds a legal qualification hoped to see legal matters involving the Department prudentially resolved. “I am particularly excited to have been given oversight on Women Representation and Gender-Based Violence in institutions of higher learning.

“The two roles are close to my heart because I am a fervent believer that empowering women with higher education is in itself a form of pushing back against GBV. This is because empowered women are firstly, able to recognise the various manifestations of emotional, psychological and physical violence and are more likely to have the courage to leave an abusive partner,” said Dr Gondwe.

Media enquiries:
Fanie Ngoma 
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Tumelo Morobe 
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E-mail: Morobe.T@dhet.gov.za