By Krisendra Bisetty and Sipho Khumalo
KwaZulu-Natal Education Minister Faith Gasa resigned on Friday after a controversial nine-month term of office.
The announcement was made by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Lionel Mtshali who has taken over the portfolio until a successor is named.
Gasa was not in the provincial parliament when the announcement was made.
"Minister FX Gasa has tendered her resignation and I have accepted it," he said.
The national council of the Inkatha Freedom Party is expected to meet as early as this weekend to decide on Gasa's successor although senior party sources indicated that strong contenders included KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture Minister Narend Singh, education portfolio committee chairperson Sibusiso Ngidi and Professor Nhlanhla Khubisa, chair of the sub-committee on constitutional affairs.
Educationalist and one-time IFP mayoral candidate for Durban, Gladstone Ndlela, also has a chance.
Gasa put on a brave face when contacted by the Daily News at home on Friday.
Her fate was sealed after her latest indiscretion - failing to arrive in parliament to present a critical report on the state of education.
Gasa said her husband's ill-health had prevented her from attending parliament.
The state of education report was called for by the African National Congress after the publication in the Daily News recently of a series of articles over questionable practices in the education department.
A senior IFP source said Gasa had been under pressure to resign. "She has a number of problems. There has to be an interest in education, some kind of understanding of what should happen."
Gasa, whose term of office had been controversial from the start, said she was taking her problems in her stride but declined to discuss them.
Recently, she came under stinging attack from the SA Democratic Teachers' Union for failing to keep an appointment with union leaders at her Ulundi office. She also came under fire when more than R190-million of unspent funds had to be returned to the provincial treasury.
Democratic Alliance KwaZulu-Natal leader Roger Borrows said the party noted "with some regret" the circumstances surrounding Gasa's resignation, adding that a permanent appointment should be made as soon as possible.
The African National Congress's Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said: "We do not believe she resigned voluntarily. She was a captain of a sinking ship."
Gasa was the third education minister is as many years. She took over from Eileen ka-Nkosi Shandu who was fired for nepotism.
Earlier, Dr Vincent Zulu was removed in 1999 after he was blamed for the pathetic matric results.