Stay of execution for ISETT SETA

Johannesburg, 31 Jul 2007

SA's sector education training authorities (SETAs) will not be "tampered" with until their mandated existence expires in 2010, says labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana.

Mdladlana was responding to media claims that about 19 SETA chief executives were about to lose their jobs due to a planned mass closure of their various SETAs.

Last month, ITWeb reported the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (ISETT SETA) could face withdrawal of Parliament's support.

At the time, ITWeb quoted ANC member of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications Eric Mtshali.

"These issues raise questions as to whether the committee should be trying to help the [ISETT] SETA continue or whether it should be closed down," he said.

Restructure ahead

Addressing a group of ISETT SETA graduates at a Wits University graduation ceremony this week, Mdladlana said the suggested closures were not possible.

"Legally, SETAs have a life up to 2010 and, therefore, whatever you do has to take into account that both these institutions and their workers have legal contracts that have to be respected."

However, Mdladlana admitted there remained a need to review the way some of the SETAs were structured as these resulted in duplication of responsibilities.

"We should bear in mind that, at the time we were establishing SETAs, there was no industrial strategy in SA. Now that we have an industrial strategy, SETAs have to align their strategies to the national policy. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we need five SETAs in one sector," the minister said.

Under fire

Industry players continue to criticise ISETT SETA, saying that dealing with the Services SETA is far easier.

In response to an earlier article, ITWeb readers called ISETT SETA "useless".

Democratic Alliance parliamentary member Hilda Weber says the labour portfolio committee is "very dissatisfied" with ISETT SETA.

"The fact they have had qualified audits for the last three years and each year they are promising to improve is a reflection of bad leadership. We return from recess in the beginning of August and will be calling for problem SETAs to report back with regards to their progress. ISETT SETA will be one of those," she says.