The South African Union of Students (SAUS) has appealed to the Department of Higher Education to bring stability within the department.
This follows the suspension of the Director-General, Gwebinkundla Qonde, after a disclaimer audit opinion by the Auditor-General of South Africa.
SAUS has also raised concerns over the allocation of NSFAS funds.
SAUS NEC member Asive Dlanjwa says only 48 percent of the qualifying students have received their funding so far.
“We have also noted that of the 1.2 million students who are eligible for funding for 2021 only 48 percent of those students have since received their funding and this is worrying for us. And we are saying the department through NSFAS must expedite the payment and allocation to these students so that they are able to get on with their academic year unprejudiced and unhindered. Lastly we have noted the suspension of the Director-General in the department, and although we have not applied ourselves as to what this means for the department . We have noted that there is some level of instability in the department and we are saying the minister must act very fast to bring stability in the department.”
Dlanjwa says they are also concerned with the department’s vaccination roll out strategy.
Accusations of mismanagement at NSFAS:
