Students live in NSFAS funded shacks in Limpopo
16 November 2023
The DA has written to the Minister of Higher Education, Dr Blade Nzimande, demanding that he actions swift accreditation of student accommodation across all institutions of higher learning.
This following the DA’s hybrid oversight to informal settlements (shacks) regarded as “student accommodation” in Madalabara, Limpopo where students studying at the Letaba TVET College reside.
This oversight revealed that included in the list of students who reside there are National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funded students. At first, Minister Nzimande denied this to be true before the portfolio committee on higher education, citing that there is no NSFAS and accommodation crisis. However, NSFAS subsequently told the committee that 65.64% of student accommodation that its beneficiaries reside in is unaccredited. Meaning, only 26 530 out 77 209 of NSFAS funded student accommodations are verified for safe and decent dwelling by students.
This then begs the question? How many more Madalabaras do we have across off campus residences in the entire country and why is NSFAS paying for students to live in shacks?