In October last year, National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) CEO Andile Nongogo was fired amid a R47-billion payments scandal.
Ernest Khosa, chairperson of NSFAS resigned last Thursday.
Shortly after that, Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande dissolved the board because the members could not carry out and implement essential responsibilities, including overseeing the payment of student allowances.
Nzimande placed NSFAS under administration and appointed Sithembiso Freeman Nomvalo, the CEO of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, as its administrator.
On Sunday, Nzimande told the media: “As minister, I have consistently raised my concerns and unhappiness with the outgoing NSFAS board about its inability and failure to carry out and implement some of its basic responsibilities that I have allocated to it.”
Here are some of the reasons behind this decision:
– Inability to Submit Corrected Annual Reports: The NSFAS board failed to submit a corrected annual report to Parliament.
– Delayed Responses to Student Queries: The institution consistently failed to respond to student queries promptly and efficiently.
– Failure to Implement Recommendations: The board did not fully implement recommendations from a Werksmans report, including terminating contracts with direct payment service providers appointed irregularly.
– Allowance Payment Delays: NSFAS management struggled to ensure timely student allowance payments, affecting the stability of universities and technical colleges.
Management’s consistent inability to oversee the timely payment of student allowances resulted in unnecessary stress for students and their parents.
NSFAS has given its assurance that the dissolution of its board will not affect its allowance payments to students.
According to Nzimande, NSFAS will continue to operate while it is under administration.
“The dissolution of the board will not affect normal functioning of NSFAS including all payments that need to be made,” he said.
“We are not going to change our commitment. We are doing this because we want to improve the functionality of the organisation.”
Nzimande’s spokesperson, Veli Mbele told media: “It’s not going to have a material or detrimental effect on the payment of allowances. Remember, we have already paid for this month, which is April, and will pay in the next cycle. We don’t anticipate a negative effect on the responsibilities, especially financial support to students.”
Sadly, all of this is “too little, too late” for first-year B.Ed student Thato Molaudi who was stabbed to death in King Edward Street, just outside the campus of the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein at around 05:00 on Tuesday.
He was on his way to stand in the queue for his NSFAS allowance.
Central University of Technology SRC president Metsing Matlhaku said that if the NSFAS processing had been efficient, students would not have had to queue so early in the morning.
“Students are risking their lives walking from the township to be early for the queue. Students who arrive at 10am would not be processed on the same day, but since the incident, we saw magic service, with students arriving at noon being helped.”
In the past, many students have found themselves without food, sleeping outside their campus gate after being kicked out of their accommodation.
Landlords have kicked the students out of their accommodation after NSFAS funding delays, and students and parents have had to take out micro-loans with crazy interest rates just to get by.
Student structures from various political parties and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) have called for Minister Nzimande to step down, saying that if he fails to do so, President Cyril Ramaphosa should fire him immediately.
Nzimande’s reply to this was: “Who is saying I must resign? I will not resign, I am not appointed by them.”
So, while the grootkoppe play musical chairs and continue the blame game, our children, parents, and communities continue to suffer.
How difficult can it be to get this right? Why must there always be corruption and tender scandals involved in delivering services and resources to society’s most vulnerable?
Sadly, there are still students who are genuinely eligible for NSFAS allowances who have been declined for funding – while NSFAS acknowledges that it has been paying allowances to tens of thousands of students who do not qualify for funding.
I am going to end by saying this – we deserve better.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za