The National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) says it will start to disburse outstanding student allowances tomorrow.
NSFAS has given the assurance that the dissolution of its Board will not affect its payment of allowances to students.
This comes after Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande put the scheme under administration and dissolved its Board on Thursday.
Nzimande’s action followed the resignation of the chairperson of the NSFAS Board, Ernest Khosa.
The action is part of the government’s interventions aimed at improving the efficiency of the scheme.
The NSFAS spokesperson, Ishmael Mnisi says, “The dissolution of the NSFAS Board will ensure that we continue with the effectiveness and efficiency of the management of the mandate of the scheme under the administrator. This decision will not affect operations at NSFAS, particularly the disbursements of allowances to students, institutions, and our accommodation providers, ensuring that all the systems that were there under the board, the decisions that have been made are implemented to the latter.”
Calls for resignation
A student activist at the Tshwane University of Technology, Keamogetswe Masike, says he supports student bodies’ calls for the resignation of Nzimande and his deputy, Buti Manamela.
Masike has blamed corruption for the NSFAS’ failure to adequately serve students.
He says, “We’re questioning the role of the Deputy Minister because you’d understand that in any team, if the head coach is failing, the assistant coach must take over. The head coach has been failing us, which is the Minister of Education.”
“Buti Manamela, we’re calling upon his resignation as well, building up to a national protest that is part and parcel of a memorandum of demands, that both of the head coach and assistant coach must vacate that office. That office has been dysfunctional and incompetent. Any time from now a bomb can strike, our universities are ready, students are ready, and picket lines are calling us.”
NSFAS administrator
Education activist Hendrick Makaneta says the appointment of the CEO of SA the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Freeman Nomvalo as the NSFAS administrator inspires confidence in the entity.
Nzimande announced the appointment of Nomvalo yesterday.
Makaneta says Nomvalo brings a wealth of experience to the embattled entity.
He says, “The appointment of the CEO of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants as the NSFAS administrator inspires confidence. This appointment will surely go a long way toward preparing the ground to ensure that students receive their allowances on time.”
“We know that NSFAS is a very important vehicle through which millions of students from destitute families tend to gain. Students need this support to fulfill their right to learn,” he adds.
