EFFSC statement on R580 million returned to National Treasury by the Department of Higher Education

23 July 2024

The Economic Freedom Fighters Students' Command (EFFSC) strongly condemns the Department of Higher Education (DHE) for failing to spend Five Hundred and Eighty Million Rand (580M), leading to it being returned to the National Treasury. This unthinkable and irrational act takes place while thousands of students continue to struggle with access to higher education because of the lack of funding.

This confirms our long-held view that the government of the African National Congress (ANC) has not only failed the youth of South Africa but is also actively and deliberately sabotaging the development of our nation. This has become a trend in many departments led by incompetent and dishonest administrators who are obsessed with manipulating audit outcomes at the expense of delivering services to our people.

Among these departments is the Department of Higher Education (DHE) which chose not to utilise its full budget to the detriment of the students of South Africa. To date the post-secondary sector is unable to absorb all learners who pass matric (Grade 12) due to lack of space and not enough institutions, yet we have a department that can return over Five Hundred and Eighty Million (580M) to National Treasury.

Student accommodation, by the department own admission, continues to be a thorn in the sector as thousands of students suffer year in and year our due to the shortage of beds, yet we have a department that fails to utilise all resources at its disposal.

The Economic Freedom Fighters Students' Command (EFFSC) strongly condemns the Department of Higher Education (DHE) for failing to spend Five Hundred and Eighty Million Rand (580M), leading to it being returned to the National Treasury. This unthinkable and irrational act takes place while thousands of students continue to struggle with access to higher education because of the lack of funding.

This confirms our long-held view that the government of the African National Congress (ANC) has not only failed the youth of South Africa but is also actively and deliberately sabotaging the development of our nation. This has become a trend in many departments led by incompetent and dishonest administrators who are obsessed with manipulating audit outcomes at the expense of delivering services to our people.

Among these departments is the Department of Higher Education (DHE) which chose not to utilise its full budget to the detriment of the students of South Africa. To date the post-secondary sector is unable to absorb all learners who pass matric (Grade 12) due to lack of space and not enough institutions, yet we have a department that can return over Five Hundred and Eighty Million (580M) to National Treasury.

Student accommodation, by the department own admission, continues to be a thorn in the sector as thousands of students suffer year in and year our due to the shortage of beds, yet we have a department that fails to utilise all resources at its disposal.

This failure to fully utilise the government's budget on education underlines and supports the EFF's sustained call for the clearance of historical student debt in our institutions of higher learning. It is a loud and clear statement by government that Free Education in achievable in South Africa, but it is the lack of political will that prevents meaningful investment in the education of poor black youth.

We have no confidence that the unholy marriage of the ANC and the DA will fix this problem, as their so-called Government of National Unity (GNU) is characterised by the policy inconsistencies on the direction which should be taken by the department.

We demand that the money returned to National Treasury be used to, first and foremost, resolve the problem of student debt in South Africa so that all graduates who owe their intuitions and have had their certificates withheld, may be given their certificates immediately for them to access employment opportunities.

Issued by Khanya Bungane, Acting Secretary General, EFFSC, 23 July 2024