AfriForum Youth’s legal team sends out letters on behalf of NSFAS students 

31 March 2021  

AfriForum Youth’s legal team Hurter Spies Inc. on 29 March sent out letters to various universities on behalf of students represented by the organisation in the court case against the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). In these letters, AfriForum Youth asks that these students be allowed to register seeing as the court case has not yet been concluded and it is not fair towards the students to be punished for something that they have no control over. AfriForum Youth represents more than 130 students that lost their funding during the 2020 academic year after NSFAS decided to withdraw the bursaries of 5 000 students. 

The registration period was extended particularly because of various protest actions by tertiary institutions due to the procrastination of NSFAS to inform students of its funding in 2021. Students with outstanding debt cannot register unless a certain amount is paid and they can also not get access to their academic records, even if they completed their studies.    

“We ask that the universities allow our group of students to register while we fight on their behalf for the funding NSFAS promised them and simply took away without explanation. Many of the students and their parents had to try and get alternative funding or even sold their vehicles to ensure the students can register. Our case against NSFAS has already been postponed twice and that is why we ask that universities cooperate and allow all the students to register until the matter has been resolved,” says Chantelle du Preez, AfriForum Youth’s National Coordinator for Campus Structures.     

AfriForum Youth’s case against NSFAS will be heard in the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town on 14 April 2021. Furthermore, the youth organisation is awaiting feedback from the different institutions to hear if they are willing to consider this request until the court case has been concluded. Further enquiries from students regarding NSFAS can be sent to [email protected]. 

Become involved with your nearest tertiary or town branch and help make a positive difference: Send an email to [email protected]. 

Issued by ChantéKelder, Media Relations Officer, AfriForum Youth, 31 March 2021