Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande’s denial of the crisis that is confronting the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) comes as no surprise.
It is, however, a smack in the face of the thousands of tertiary education students who have been forced to go to bed on an empty stomach because their funds were delayed.
We have not yet talked about the thousands of students who NSFAS has wrongfully defunded and are now left to fend for themselves.
Add to that the instability within the entity itself following the resignation of its IT boss Modibedi Oliphant after having been served a notice letter of suspension, as a result of the IT unit’s alleged poor performance which also saw a delay in allowances payment.
This is the same entity that is out of a permanent CEO after Andile Nongogo was placed on leave amid Werksmans Inc investigating him over service provider tender allegations.
If this does not constitute a crisis for Nzimande, the South African taxpayer has more reasons to be awake at night. NSFAS’s total budget allocation for the 2023 academic year is R47.6 billion. Denying the obvious will not make the problem go away.
In an August 24 opinion piece published by this publication, Stellenbosch University SRC vice-chairperson William Sezoe detailed the plight of more than 2 000 students who were facing hunger.
“Students across the country are complaining about fraudulent transactions on their accounts, with money just disappearing from their accounts.
This ignorance by the minister shows he is not in touch with the realities and experiences of students who his department, under which NSFAS falls, ought to be serving.”
Nzimande will only understand the frustration of students when he puts himself in their shoes. So long as he gets away with a fat salary, we don’t expect him to understand the sacrifices families are having to make, including turning to loan sharks when NSFAS delays or does not pay allowances.
NSFAS’ failure to account before the Parliament’s Higher Education, Science and Innovation Portfolio committee on Wednesday is hardly surprising, especially when the minister himself does not see anything wrong with the state of affairs in the entity.
Again you don’t have to guess who suffers the most.
Cape Times