Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, has placed NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme) under administration.
Reason for Action
-
Poor governance and maladministration at NSFAS.
Why NSFAS Matters
-
For many families, NSFAS is not an abstract institution—it enables access to higher education.
Advertisement -
It can mean the difference between exclusion and opportunity, hope and despair.
Impact of Instability
-
Problems at NSFAS affect not only universities and TVET colleges but also students, households, and communities.
Government’s Responsibility
-
The government must act when an institution’s effective functioning is seriously undermined.
The Decision to Appoint an Administrator
-
Made after careful consideration of legal, governance, financial, and operational circumstances.
-
Done under Section 17A(2)(d) of the NSFAS Act (1999).
-
The decision was not taken lightly—it followed a long process of engagement, legal assessment, government intervention, and exploring alternatives.
Background: Board Concerns
-
When the Minister took office, concerns already existed about how the NSFAS Board was constituted.
-
The department went to court to review the legality of the board’s formation.
Resignations and Instability
-
The board experienced several resignations, including the Chairperson, Dr. Karin Stander, and other members.
-
An Interim Chairperson (Mugwena Maluleka) was appointed to stabilize governance.
Legal Contradiction in Filling Vacancies
-
Requests were made to fill board vacancies.
-
However, with a court case ongoing about the board’s legality, the government could not proceed as if the issue didn’t exist—doing so would have been contradictory and irrational.
Deepening Institutional Problems
-
Broader concerns at NSFAS continued to grow.
-
These did not come from rumor or speculation—they emerged from NSFAS’s own reports, governance records, engagements, and responses to the department.
