Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid criminal charges against Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) administrator Oupa Nkoane over allegations that he fraudulently approved his own annual salary package of R3 million.
In a statement, the DA said that the amount exceeded the R500 000 salary package prescribed by Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela.
DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training Karabo Khakhau opened a criminal case against Nkoane in Cape Town on Tuesday morning, accusing him of contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA).
Khakhau said the issue was previously raised during Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, where Nkoane allegedly admitted to the salary increase and cited personal financial reasons for the adjustment.
Criminal violation
“When confronted about this matter in Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Nkoane admitted to the salary creep citing his own financial reasons. The DA has submitted video evidence of this meeting, and the official record of the Committee to the Police for their investigation into Nkoane,” she said.
The DA believes the matter amounts to a criminal violation of several sections of the PFMA relating to financial misconduct and the misuse of public funds.
According to Khakhau, Minister Manamela only intervened in January 2026, overturning the original salary decision and approving a revised package of R2.5 million instead.
As a result, Nkoane allegedly received an overpayment of R208 333 between October 2025 and March 2026.
Wrong choice
“These are concrete grounds for investigation by the South African Police Service (SAPS). 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,” Khakhau added.
She further criticised Nkoane’s appointment, saying he had been placed at CETA to resolve governance and administrative problems within the institution, but had instead added to the crisis.
“The DA warned against his appointment and maintains that he was the wrong choice for appointment,” she said.
According to IOL, Nkoane declined to comment on the matter, saying he did not want to engage in “the politics of the DA”.
The DA also used the controversy to renew its criticism of Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), arguing that they have failed to fulfil their intended purpose of skills development and youth job creation.
The party claimed that SETAs have instead become vulnerable to corruption and misuse of public funds.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
