BY: MASHUDU MAGADU
Universities South Africa says the impending national shutdown of tertiary institutions by beneficiaries of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) poses a significant risk to both students and the institutions. Frustrated NSFAS funded students are planning on halting operations at universities across the country, over the delayed payments of allowances. Grievance including:
- Students on transport Allowance’s .
- Students who are not placed on accommodation must be placed immediately.
- lack of WIFI and washing lines.
- Landlords should be able to apply for students housing.
They lay the blame squarely on controversial companies that have been appointed as middlemen to administer NSFAS on behalf of government. Head of Universities South Africa’s Funding Strategy Group Professor Bismark Tyobeka said , “We said under the circumstances while the legal issues are being sorted out, let the universities do the disbursements. Because we have done it before and now concerns were raised from the side of the minister and NSFAS itself to say that when universities were given a chance years ago, a lot of things happened bordering on criminal activities.”
Meanwhile, students of Tshwane University of Technology and TVET College students Acadia in Pretoria took to the streets barricading the entrance to the Department of Higher Education and Training , burning tyres. “Some of students are being kicked out from their residents due to the outstanding accommodation fee. This issues of NSFAS is serious”, said Mpho a student at Tshwane North TVET college.
They say some of their issues such as NSFAS funding are never being addressed since last year some early this year and now.
