South African Opposition Seeks to Block Higher Education and Housing Budgets

South Africa’s Democratic Alliance announced it will vote against the 2025/26 budgets for the Higher Education and Human Settlements departments, intensifying pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet. The DA accuses Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane of fraud and misleading Parliament over alleged nepotism in Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) appointments, and says Human Settlements Minister Thembisile Simelane faces unresolved corruption claims. During Tuesday’s budget debate, Nkabane tabled a R96 billion allocation for universities, R48.7 billion for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, R14 billion for TVET colleges and R26 billion for Setas and the National Skills Fund. The minister argued the package would improve post-school training and access, but the DA, Economic Freedom Fighters and MK Party rejected the plan, saying it entrenches patronage and ignores a R1.4 billion shortfall in university funding. Opposition parties also vowed to oppose Simelane’s Human Settlements budget when it comes to a vote later on 2 July. They charge that the spending framework fails to tackle entrenched spatial inequalities and lacks credible safeguards against graft. Parliamentary Budget Office chief Dumisani Jantjies told lawmakers that if the budgets are defeated, the departments must resubmit revised proposals or risk operating on contingency funding. The coordinated pushback underscores growing fissures in South Africa’s Government of National Unity and could complicate efforts to pass spending plans before the new fiscal year begins. The presidency has not commented on the DA’s call for Ramaphosa to dismiss the two ministers.