FS Department of Education and Premier’s Office fail to pay bursary fees, leaving students suspended

19 September 2019

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been inundated with complaints from students and parents about unpaid bursaries from the Free State Department of Education and the Office of the Premier.

The DA has written three urgent letters to the MEC of Education, Hon Tate Makgoe, since 5 August this year, and true to form, the MEC blatantly ignored these pleas for answers.

On 7 August 2019 the DA submitted questions for oral reply to the Premier of the Free State, Sisi Ntombela, questioning the over 300 unpaid bursaries from the Free State Education Department and the Office of the Premier, to which the Premier replied that, “Due to a review of the internal controls for making payments to the Universities, a delay in processing the payments to Universities relating to bursary holders was unfortunately caused. The review has been completed and payments to Universities have been processed.”

Unfortunately, it seems that this is not the case as the DA are still receiving complaints about unpaid bursaries on a daily basis.

Students who obtained distinctions are now being suspended from Universities and unable to complete their academic year. When they contact the Department of Education on this matter they shift the blame and says it is “out of our hands”.  Many of these students received their bursaries from the Department of Education as “Matric Top Achievers”.

The Free State Department of Education is under provincial administration and at the end of each financial year the Department runs out of cash, leaving it unable to honour, amongst other critical payments, their bursary agreements. What is worrying is that it is now only the middle of the financial year and already problems with payments occur.

The blatant disregard of letters, pleas and questions to the MEC of Education is a clear indication that he has no political will to make sure that our youth receive the education they deserve. He is at this stage our students’ worst enemy.

Higher education is a very important investment in our youth. The DA will escalate this matter to the National Department of Education.

Issued by Mariette Pittaway, DA MPL and Whip of the Official Opposition in the Free State Provincial Legislature, 19 September 2019