Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor says she will make an announcement about the administrator of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) this week. Pandor met with the NSFAS board last Friday to discuss the appointment.
This followed the resignation of Chairperson Sizwe Nxasana. His resignation came after Pandor told NSFAS not to open student applications for 2019 before sorting out the 2017 and 2018 funding backlog.
Pandor says the administrator’s appointment is imminent. “As soon as the person we have identified has accepted and I have gazetted – as is the requirement – we are talking to someone right now and once that is done I will make an announcement. It should be this week.”
Meanwhile, the National Teachers’ Union (Natu) has called for a new funding model for NSFAS. Natu says it welcomes Pandor’s announcement that she will soon appoint an administrator to oversee the management of the scheme.
Natu’s Deputy President Allan Thompson says although they have full confidence in the Minister Pandor, she should have taken the corrective steps the minute she stepped into that position.
“National Teachers’ Union wants the Minister of Higher Education and Training to derive a new funding model that is going to expedite resolving all the outstanding problems and beef up that administration with a team of well-experienced people and suitably qualified people who will have the capacity to make sure that each and every student that applies for funding receives the funding,” says Thompson. – Wisani Makhubele and Zalene Merrington
