FASSET News NOTING OF THE GAZETTE PLACING CETA UNDER ADMI…

DATE: 20 AUGUST 2025

TO THE ESTEEMED CETA STAKEHOLDERS

SUBJECT: NOTING OF THE GAZETTE PLACING CETA UNDER ADMINISTRATION

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) trust that update correspondence finds all of you and your organisations well.

The CETA believes most of you may already have seen the Government Gazette No.53184 (Gazette), which has been publicised and widely circulated in the media. We hereby wish to formally communicate that the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has gazetted the placement of the CETA under Administration, and appointed Mr Dithabe Oupa Nkoane as the CETA Administrator for the period of twelve (12) months effective from the publication of the Gazette. 

The CETA wishes to assure you, our esteemed stakeholders, that the entity had not been formally notified in advance or by the time of this communique of the decision as reflected in the Gazette nor of its rationale and reasons thereto. We await such communication to provide clarity on the reasons for such a decision.  We therefore, urge stakeholders to remain calm, as more clarity on the matter unfolds.

The CETA wants to highlight that that the entity has achieved 98% of its     CETA-DHET SLA targets (as confirmed by the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) during current audit) (compared to 92% in 2023/24), while also achieving 97% of its 2024/25 APP targets. Furthermore, there is no investigation report that has been made that concludes that financial maladministration has occurred at the CETA. These are fundamental requirements in terms of the Skills Development Act of South Africa (as amended) and the SETA Constitutional requirements to be met in placing any SETA under Administration.

It is equally worth noting that correspondence as submitted by the former Chairperson of the Board (Accounting Authority) whose term ended on 31 March 2025 in response to Section 14A of the Skills Development Act to the Ministry last year; had confirmed to the Minister that there was no financial maladministration. and the correspondence further noted the CETA was performing its mandated functions and had achieved 92% of its APP targets having improved significantly from 22% in the 2020/21 financial year; and that no new irregular expenditure incurred in the 2023/24 year as recently audited.

The CETA leadership remains committed to clean administration and proper governance. We sincerely value and appreciate the continued support you have pledged to the CETA as stakeholders in the construction and built environment sector. Further information regarding the implications of the  process announced in the Gazette will be communicated in due course; once the CETA has been formally notified.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this period.

Yours in skills development.

ISSUED BY THE CETA STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS

-END-

Click here to access the official statement.