‘I’m not here to cut ribbons’: new deputy minister Cassim vows to shake up troubled higher education sector

Newly appointed deputy minister of higher education and training Yusuf Cassim says he has no intention of becoming a ceremonial figure in one of the government’s most troubled portfolios, warning that he will not remain silent if he is prevented from making a meaningful impact.

In his first interview after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his appointment to the Government of National Unity executive on Tuesday night, the DA MP said he accepted the position only after making it clear that he wanted to drive reform rather than perform symbolic duties.

“I made it very, very clear that I’m not interested in going into this position in order to go around and cut ribbons and perform ceremonial roles that make no impact on the communities that I have pledged to serve,” Cassim told Sunday Times.

His appointment places one of the DA’s longest-serving higher education campaigners alongside higher education minister Buti Manamela in a department battling governance failures at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), persistent corruption allegations involving Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas), and growing concern that South Africa’s skills pipeline is failing to meet the demands of a changing economy.

Cassim acknowledged that his influence would depend largely on the responsibilities delegated to him by Manamela, but said he hoped to build a productive relationship with the minister.

“My first prize is to develop a healthy and working relationship with the minister,” he said.

“I would like to work together in achieving outcomes that are in the best interests of our citizens.”

At the same time, Cassim made it clear he would not quietly accept being sidelined.

“I would respectfully request the minister not to try and keep me isolated or prevent me from being able to make an impact because if that is the case, it would be frustrating.”

While stressing that he has always been disciplined during his 18 years in politics, Cassim said he would use internal government channels to challenge decisions he believed were wrong.

“I can’t be expected to remain silent on the issues that I believe in. I can’t be expected to remain silent where I believe that there is wrong taking place.”

For Cassim, the appointment marks what he describes as a “full circle” moment.

He entered politics in 2008 as a member of the DA Students’ Organisation at Nelson Mandela University, insisting he never viewed politics as a career but as a platform to fight for students excluded from higher education.

“I got into politics to champion access and success,” he said.

He recalled students who could not afford transport to examinations and others whose NSFAS textbook allowances covered only a fraction of what they needed to complete their studies.

“They were being set up to fail by the system.”

As SRC president, Cassim helped establish a student bailout fund and expanded the university’s shuttle service after concluding that financial aid alone was insufficient if students could not reach campus or afford basic academic necessities.

Those experiences, he said, convinced him that many of the obstacles facing students could not be solved by universities alone.

I’m going to fight really, really hard within my powers to ensure every young person has fair access to an opportunity to further their studies or training and has a fair opportunity to succeed.

—  Yusuf Cassim, deputy minister of higher education

“When I served on university council and senate, I realised there were many issues that couldn’t be solved at an institutional level. They needed to be solved in Parliament or at departmental level.”

That conviction drove him to Parliament in 2014, where he specifically sought to serve on the higher education portfolio committee.

Now, more than a decade later, he says the mission remains unchanged.

“I’m going to fight really, really hard within my powers to ensure every young person has fair access to an opportunity to further their studies or training and has a fair opportunity to succeed.”

Although he has yet to receive his formal delegations, Cassim identified four areas he hopes to prioritise.

The first is stabilising NSFAS, which remains under administration following years of governance failures and corruption allegations.

“This is the worst possible time for there to be this kind of instability within NSFAS because it is students who suffer at the end of the day.”

He said delayed payments to accommodation providers and inefficiencies in the system ultimately hurt students through evictions, disrupted studies and fewer funding opportunities.

His second priority is reforming technical and vocational education.

Following a recent visit to Volkswagen’s manufacturing plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, Cassim said South Africa’s TVET colleges were still training students on outdated equipment that no longer reflects the realities of modern industry.

“We must be preparing our young people for the future job market and not the job market of the past.”

He also wants to close what he calls a significant gap for learners attending Schools of Skills, many of whom complete four years of education without receiving nationally recognised qualifications.

“We’ve basically wasted four years of their lives,” he said.

Cassim was equally critical of the country’s Seta system, arguing that the sector, which administers more than R20bn collected through the skills levy, requires structural reform rather than incremental improvements.

“I believe very strongly that the entire Seta sector needs to be reformed.”

He said the current model was not producing the skilled workforce South Africa needs as industries adapt to automation and artificial intelligence.

The DA has previously called for a complete overhaul of the system.

Cassim also pointed to the scandals that have repeatedly engulfed Seta over the years, including investigations he pursued while serving on Parliament’s higher education committee.

“There was a loss of confidence because a number of Seta were embroiled, and have continued to be embroiled, in scandals.”

He said whistleblowers would continue to play a critical role in exposing corruption.

“I’ve always been available to whistleblowers. I’ve protected their identities very, very strictly.”

He vowed to push for consequence management where evidence of corruption or maladministration emerged.

“These issues cannot be swept under the carpet.”

Beyond governance failures, Cassim believes government has developed a habit of responding only once crises erupt.

He said students and sector stakeholders should be engaged continuously rather than only after protests and disruptions.

“I believe stakeholders should be treated as valuable partners and not as a nuisance.”

He said student organisations, universities, TVET colleges, private accommodation providers and industry all had a role to play in preventing the recurring crises that have characterised the higher education sector.

For Cassim, the deputy minister’s office is not a new political destination but a continuation of a cause that began nearly two decades ago on a university campus.

“I go into this appointment with the very same mission,” he said. “This is full circle for me.”