Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has strongly denied allegations that he has weaponised the institutional weaknesses of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for personal gain.
Earlier this year, Nzimande rubbished reports that he received kickbacks for the awarding of a lucrative NSFAS tender. A news article published by a popular publication has once again cast concerns over the role of Nzimande or his influence in the awarding of NSFAS contracts.
At the beginning of this year, the Minister issued two media statements and held a special media briefing, where he provided sufficient detail to refute these false allegations and exposed them for what they are: a nefarious attempt to discourage him from ensuring clean governance at NSFAS.
Nzimande says the publication of this article is part of an attempt to discredit his efforts to ensure clean governance at NSFAS. Nzimande recently fired the NSFAS board and installed an administrator at the scheme to ensure NSFAS funds find their way to the intended beneficiaries.
As with previous attempts, the latest attempt seeks to desperately resuscitate the same old and baseless allegations that were made against the Minister, a few months ago.
The minister maintains his innocence and has called on people who have alleged proof of wrongdoing to provide their evidence.
The Minister challenges his detractors to produce credible evidence of his involvement in any unethical activities at NSFAS.
Nzimande has questioned the motives behind the publication of the article with elections less than a month away.
It is also becoming evident that some sections of the media, working with some political opportunists, are hell-bent on weaponising the institutional weaknesses of NSFAS to fuel their anti-Nzimande campaign.
NSFAS Challenges
In 2024, NSFAS received more than R53 billion from the National Treasury to provide comprehensive financial aid to deserving students. Students can apply for comprehensive bursaries and student loans if they are enrolled in approved courses at universities and TVET colleges in South Africa.
Last week, Nzimande confirmed that NSFAS lost 21.4 million through detected fraud and maladministration. Before that, the Auditor General shed light on significant financial irregularities at NSFAS when they uncovered lapses in control mechanisms and potential financial losses.
