South African court grants interim protection in dispute over NSF chief competition — TimesLIVE

The Labour Court in South Africa granted interim judicial protection to Dr Innocent Sirovha in a dispute over the appointment of the chief executive officer of the National Skills Fund (NSF). This was a setback for Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela, who ordered the competition for the position to be reopened.

Dispute over the competition

As TimesLIVE reports, the selection of candidates had already been completed by the director-general in the minister's department, and Sirovha was recommended for appointment. He went through the selection procedure and was the recommended candidate for the position.

Sirovha went to court seeking to prohibit Manamela from taking further steps to reopen the vacancy. He also asked to prevent the submission, preparation or processing of documents required for a new competition. Judge Lagrange concluded that the applicant had substantiated grounds for granting interim protection.

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Selection procedure

The NSF opened applications for the head's position in February last year. The fund works to improve the skills of unemployed and disadvantaged young people. According to the publication, after the procedure was completed, Sirovha was asked to provide fingerprints — one of the final stages before his candidacy was submitted for approval.

TimesLIVE also notes that Manamela recently lost another court dispute with the board of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). The ruling meant that his move to dissolve the board and appoint an administrator was effectively overturned.