Public Protector South Africa intervenes in tertiary education challenges
15 March 2021
Acting Public Protector Adv. KholekaGcaleka will over the next five weeks visit up to six institutions of higher learning in as many provinces, where she will engage the management, Student Representative Councils (SRC) and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), among others interested parties, on issues relating to access to tertiary education.
In 2020, the office of the Public Protector received 08 complainants concerning the NSFAS. The complaints related to inadequate allowances for study material, non-payment of living allowances and failure to pay for tuition.
There is also an ongoing investigation stemming from allegations that the NSFAS incurred irregular expenditure amounting to R7billion; failed to assist students in that it lacked ability to raise and recover loans, lacked ability to disburse correct amounts of money, delayed disbursements to students; its senior managers lacked formal qualifications, engaged in unscrupulous procurement and lacked internal audit independence, among other things.
The office held several meetings with the NSFAS in 2020 to address challenges faced by students including failure or undue delay to settleoutstanding fees; failure or undue delay to pay the monthly allowances, failure or undue delay to pay living allowances and failure or undue delay to pay study material allowances. It is apparent that these challenges remain.