MPs Demand Accountability Over Data Gaps in Foreign Academic Hiring

Members of Parliament have raised serious concerns regarding the lack of reliable and disaggregated data on foreign nationals employed within South Africa's post-school education and training sector. During a joint meeting between the portfolio committees on higher education and home affairs, lawmakers warned that these data gaps make it difficult to verify if institutions are complying with national laws.

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela admitted to the committee that without accurate data, the department cannot determine if universities and TVET colleges are hiring foreign nationals for roles that are not actually critical or scarce. This admission comes amid fears that some institutions may be using the concept of internationalisation as a cover to ignore labour and immigration regulations.

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie emphasized that institutions must respect the country's laws, noting that South African students are expected to follow the laws of other countries and the same standard should apply to those coming to South Africa. He stressed that while internationalisation is important, it should not serve as an excuse to bypass legal frameworks.

The home affairs committee reminded institutions that hiring undocumented foreign nationals is a criminal offense under Section 38 of the Immigration Act. Lawmakers expressed concern that weak oversight has allowed some universities and colleges to hire foreign nationals without following proper processes, potentially at the expense of qualified South Africans.

As part of the effort to address these irregularities, the committee recommended that the Department of Higher Education and Training urgently verify its data. This includes reviewing the status of at least 67 foreign nationals in the TVET sector who are not linked to scarce or critical skills.

Members of the committee further stressed that the critical skills system must not be misused to disadvantage local citizens. They called for improved transparency and fairer employment practices to ensure that vacancies in the public education sector prioritize qualified South Africans.