The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has urged higher education institutions to comply fully with South Africa’s immigration and labour laws when employing foreign nationals. The Committee expressed concern over what it described as a lack of accurate and reliable data on foreign academic staff across the post-school education sector.
During a joint meeting between the Department and the Department of Home Affairs, members emphasised that the employment of foreign nationals must align with the Critical Skills List and should not displace suitably qualified South Africans. Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie stated that while internationalisation remains important, it must not be used to circumvent immigration laws. He noted that foreign academics make valuable contributions, particularly in critical fields such as mathematics, but stressed that, just as South Africans are expected to comply with laws abroad, foreign nationals must do the same in South Africa.
The Committee also presented findings from oversight visits to various TVET colleges and universities, where it observed that a significant number of foreign nationals occupy senior management positions. These findings have intensified calls for more rigorous vetting processes, particularly concerning approximately 67 foreign nationals employed in the TVET sector whose roles are not linked to critical or scarce skills.
Both Committees further committed to strengthening their participation in the ongoing review of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Protection of Refugees once the relevant Bill is formally tabled in Parliament.
