Investigating good governance and leadership within the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs)
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Date
2023
Authors
Motsie, Nneo Tsamontle
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) have been in operation for more than 20 years in South Africa. SETAs were first introduced by the Department of Labour in the year 2000 and they were established according to the Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998, of which subsection 9(1) in Chapter 3 states that the relevant minister may establish a SETA with a constitution for any national economic sector. SETAs were formed after the apartheid era because of the gaps and imbalances caused by apartheid. They were established to create jobs and to address the shortage of skilled professionals in South Africa, especially among black people, women, and disadvantaged citizens. The objective of the SETAs is to facilitate training in the different sectors and their mandate is to address skills development needs (Republic of South Africa [RSA] 1998b). Since their establishment, SETAs have attracted negative media attention due to poor governance and leadership (see, for example, Bolin 2003; Mail & Guardian 2003; Robinson 2004). Barclay (2012: 3) states that regardless of their positive contribution to skills development, SETAs continue to be the most criticised entities in the democratic dispensation. The challenges faced by SETAs are ineffective management information systems, poor monitoring and evaluation systems, lack of quality assurance mechanisms, poor governance, high dropout rates of learners registered for learnerships, corruption, theft, dysfunction, poor leadership, and irregular expenditure.Even though SETAs have existed for more than 20 years, little has been done with regard to leadership (the boards and senior management) within the SETAs.
There have been continuous management challenges with regard to implementing policies and SETA operating principles. The management of SETAs is known to be ill-equipped to implement regulations and to enforce the law. Some SETAs have been placed under administration because of maladministration and the continuous unethical conduct of their senior management. Most SETAs are poorly managed, which results in fruitless expenditure such as spending billions of rands on administrative functions, with little money going to the training needs of the stakeholders (Rhodes University, 2021).According to Prinsloo (2004: 4), SETAs were created to serve as a solution for the shortage of skills in the country. The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) has been reporting irregular expenditure within the SETAs since 2019, of which most of the irregular expenditure stems from poor governance and leadership. A member of the Parliamentary Committee and representative of the Democratic Alliance stated that “SETAs are corrupt and ineffective organizations” and that “the cycle of dissolving boards and appointing administrators goes on and on within SETAs due to ineffective leadership within the SETAs” (Parliamentary Monitoring Group [PMG] 2020). A member of the Parliamentary Committee and representative of the African National Congress challenged SETA representatives to devise a plan to restore efficiency and effectiveness within the SETAs. He questioned the good governance and management of the SETAs in 2020 during a committee meeting set up by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (PMG 2020).
Description
Dissertation (M.A. (Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2023