Dear Editor
While Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela touts a R13.3 billion reprioritisation to ‘stabilise NSFAS’, the public still hasn’t been told what programmes are being cut and how the R10.6 billion gap will be closed.
Therefore, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education to summon NSFAS and Minister Manamela, to table:
- A line-by-line account of the R13.3 billion reprioritisation (what was cut, what was deferred);
- A concrete plan to close the R10.6 billion shortfall flagged by Parliament and the Auditor-General; and
- A written timetable to settle all outstanding accommodation claims and prevent student evictions, including arrear payments, portal fixes, and escalation points.
This follows NSFAS’s repeated failure to pay accommodation providers. In Kimberley alone, more than 500 students from Sol Plaatje University and Northern Cape Urban TVET College are now facing eviction. Landlords, some unpaid for over a year, say they have lost all trust in the fund and are demanding transparency.
Because of these failures, students cannot pay rent or tuition fees and are left in an impossible situation. They are facing evictions, falling behind on studies, and growing increasingly frustrated with NSFAS’s administrative chaos — from a botched system switch to delays in allowances and accommodation payments.
Equally landlords are drowning in debt as they are forced to fork out the costs of unpaid utility bills and lay off employees to make ends meet. This untenable situation cannot continue unabated.
The DA will ensure that students do not become destitute, suffer hunger, or have to interrupt their academic year due to NSFAS’ failures.
Regards
Dr Delmaine Christians MP
DA Spokesperson on Higher Education & Training