Higher Education Deputy Minister, Buti Manamela, says government will assess the historical debt that will accrue until 2022 and seek interventions. His statement comes after Higher Education Minister, Naledi Pandor, allocated almost a billion-rand to the settlement of the historical debt to universities.
The issue has been one of the causes of students’ protests at different universities.
Earlier, Pandor announced that an additional R967 million had been set aside to settle historic debt owed by more than 52 000 NSFAS-funded continuing students.
Pandor allocates R967 million to settle students’ historic debt
Higher Education Minister Naledi Pandor has allocated R967 million to the #NSFAS to settle the historic debt owed to universities by 52 514 NSFAS funded continuing students.https://t.co/PMhiG83tFW— SABC News Online (@SABCNewsOnline) March 24, 2019
Manamela, however, says students who owe NSFAS should clear their debt.
“We are aware that there are those who have already paid NSFAS and we really congratulate them for that, but we think those who are still owing NSFAS, let them continue, precisely because some of the money that has been collected is going to help to fund the fee-free higher eduction. We think that it is important that we emphasize that.”
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