AfriForum Youth lays service complaint regarding investigation of NSFAS misappropriation

31 January 2023 

AfriForum Youth today laid a service complaint at the South African Police Service (SAPS) because no feedback has yet been received regarding the progress of the investigation into the criminal charge of misappropriation of funds against the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This complaint was filed more than eleven weeks ago.

The service complaint was addressed to the Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lt.Gen. Elias Mawela, to demand that urgent attention be given to the investigation.

NSFAS was solely responsible for the misappropriation of R77,49 billion in 2020-2021. On 9 November 2022, AfriForum Youth submitted a complaint, in terms of Article 83 of the Public Financial Management Act, to the Lyttelton police station in Centurion. However, to date, and despite attempts to reach out to the SAPS, the complainant has not received any correspondence regarding the progress of the investigation.

Applications for NSFAS bursaries close today and the outcome of the applications will be announced on 6 February, according to Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education.

“This time of year, shortly before tertiary institutions’ academic programs kick off, NSFAS is a thorn in the side of AfriForum Youth. We take a strong stand against the ANC government’s culture of corruption which harms young people, such as NSFAS’s misappropriation which results in fewer funds being available to give needy young people the opportunity to study.

That is why we are waiting for the provincial commissioner to take the necessary steps to ensure that AfriForum Youth’s complaint against NSFAS’s misappropriation is thoroughly investigated,” concludes René van der Vyver, spokesperson for AfriForum Youth.

Issued by René van der Vyver, Spokesperson, AfriForum Youth, 31 January 2023