The term of office for the Chairperson of the fifth Umalusi Council, Prof John Volmink, has come to an end. Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, delivered a keynote address at the farewell function organised by the Umalusi to honour the sterling work done by Prof Volmink. The function took place at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice, Menlyn, Pretoria this week. The event was also aimed at welcoming the Chairperson of the incoming Umalusi Council, Prof Yunus Ballim, who will be officially installed in September 2022.

Speaking during the function, Minister Motshekga applauded Umalusi for playing a significant role in maintaining the quality and standards of the basic education system in South Africa. Umalusi Council sets and monitors standards for general and further education and training in South Africa in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework Act No 67 of 2008 [as amended] and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act No 58 of 2001 [as amended]. The Council is tasked with the development and management of a sub-framework of qualifications for general and further education and training and for the attendant quality assurance.

“The fact that Umalusi has been able to execute its mandate successfully is primarily due to the excellent and professional manner in which this Council has conducted its affairs during its four-year tenure. The Council has, at all times, acted with due regard to the legal prescripts governing its operations, but more significantly, without losing sight of the challenges associated with providing quality education to the children of our homeland.  I want to thank the members of the Council and the members of the various Committees of the Council for their dedication to the work of Umalusi,” remarked Minister Motshekga. She further highlighted: “The fifth Council has performed very well in keeping management accountable and ensuring clean governance.  As a result, it was under this Council that Umalusi attained two clean audits in the 2019 and 2020 financial years.  A clean audit is a financially unqualified opinion without material findings on reporting performance objectives. Having started on this beautiful trajectory of clean audits, I do not doubt that the incoming Council will strive to achieve the same results. I wish to thank the CEO of Umalusi, Dr Mafu Rakometsi, as well as the Executive and Senior Management of Umalusi for the sterling work that they continue to do”.