Buti Manamela Minister of Higher Education and Training photo supplied
The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela, welcomes the Public Protector’s report highlighting systemic and longstanding inefficiencies at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
The issues identified in the report are not new.
They are among the longstanding governance, administrative and operational challenges, at NSFAS that have been a matter of concern to the Minister.
These matters contributed to the Minister’s decision to place NSFAS under administration.
The findings are also consistent with concerns raised in the report that the Minister received earlier this month from the NSFAS Administrator, which identified a range of challenges requiring urgent intervention.
In March, following a meeting with the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the state of NSFAS, the Minister raised serious concerns about NSFAS financial management and governance.
The Auditor-General had found a disclaimer of opinion, with accounting records and supporting evidence so inadequate that the AGSA could not determine whether the financial statements were reliable.
As per the government gazette, the administration intervention was undertaken to stabilise the institution, strengthen its governance and financial management, address systemic weaknesses and ensure that NSFAS is able to fulfil its fundamental mandate effectively.
Measures to remedy the situation will continue to be explored.
The administration of NSFAS was part of this broader effort to restore stability, strengthen systems and ensure that the scheme is capable of delivering support to students.
Minister Manamela will continue to cooperate with the Public Protector as the investigation proceeds and will give due consideration to any further findings and recommendations arising from the process.
At the centre of the Minister’s intervention is the overriding interest in the wellbeing of students and Post School Education and Training institutions.
NSFAS exists to enable students who would otherwise not be able to afford higher education to access and participate in the post-school education and training system.
Every intervention must therefore ultimately contribute to ensuring that students receive the funding and the complete support they need to access higher education without unnecessary administrative failures.
Finally, the Minister remains committed to working with all relevant institutions to address the challenges at NSFAS and to ensure that the institution is strengthened for the benefit of all students.
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