Portfolio Committee Raises Alarms Over Misconduct and Operational Gaps at TVETs

The committee is currently visiting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges across the province as part of its mandate to assess the state of higher education institutions and ensure accountability in the sector.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education has raised serious concerns regarding sexual misconduct, staffing issues, and underutilised infrastructure during its ongoing oversight visits to post-school education institutions in the Free State. The committee is currently visiting Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges across the province as part of its mandate to assess the state of higher education institutions and ensure accountability in the sector.

On Tuesday, the committee conducted an oversight visit to the Bloemfontein campus of Motheo TVET College. While the institution’s facilities were commended for being well-maintained and structurally sound, deeper concerns were expressed about issues affecting the campus community, particularly cases of sexual harassment allegedly involving lecturers.

Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie expressed deep concern about the institution’s handling of such cases. He stated that the failure to resolve incidents of sexual misconduct within a reasonable time frame, especially beyond the 90-day mark, was unacceptable and damaging to student well-being.

“It is worrying that there are people who are accused of sexual misconduct but are still employed of the college. And this is a triple jeopardy to students who have suffered sexual harassment and who now have to see these people every day on the premises, as lecturers,” said Letsie.

He called on the college to confront the issue directly and acknowledge where processes had failed. The committee reiterated that institutions of higher learning must prioritise student safety and create an environment where complaints are treated with urgency, fairness, and transparency.

In addition to student safety, the committee highlighted the underutilisation of the college’s infrastructure. Despite commendable upkeep of buildings and lecture halls, the committee noted that the student population was alarmingly low, raising questions about recruitment and retention strategies.

“There must be deliberate efforts to market this place. All that is needed is rigorous marketing to make the TVET college more attractive to students,” said Letsie.

The committee urged the college management and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to invest in marketing strategies and community outreach to boost enrolment figures. This, according to the committee, is essential if the institution is to reach its full potential and justify continued government investment.

Another point of concern was the moratorium on filling critical staff vacancies, which the college cited as a major operational challenge. Currently, two deputy principal positions and three campus manager roles remain vacant, impacting the efficiency and leadership capacity of the institution.

The committee called on the DHET to address the moratorium issue urgently, arguing that staff shortages were negatively affecting teaching and learning outcomes, as well as administrative functions across campuses.

The issue of student accommodation was also raised, particularly at the Motheo campus in Qwaqwa. The committee urged the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to accelerate the accreditation process for student housing, ensuring that students are placed in safe and compliant residences as the academic year progresses.

Despite the challenges, the committee commended Motheo TVET College for its innovative textbook retrieval system, which resulted in a cost saving of over R1 million in 2024. Chairperson Letsie highlighted this as a best-practice model that could be replicated across the sector.

“This is an example of how innovation and accountability can go hand in hand to benefit both students and the institution,” he said.

The committee also scheduled a meeting with the Central University of Technology (CUT) on Tuesday, but the session was postponed due to IT system failures. The committee expressed frustration over this development, noting that staff shortages and the lack of a properly recognised Student Representative Council (SRC) were also key issues of concern at CUT.

On Wednesday, the committee continued its oversight programme with visits to Goldfields TVET College and the Free State Community Education and Training College. These visits are aimed at gathering insights into the academic, infrastructural, and administrative state of institutions across the province.

The oversight visit is expected to conclude with stops at Maluti TVET College on Thursday and Flavius Mareka TVET College on Friday.

The committee's visit comes amid growing national focus on the quality, accessibility, and safety of post-school education. The issues raised during this oversight tour are expected to inform future policy recommendations and interventions by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

As oversight continues, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that institutions of higher learning remain spaces of academic excellence, integrity, and safety for all students and staff.