Manamela welcomes public protector report on NSFAS

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has welcomed the Public Protector’s report highlighting longstanding governance, administrative and operational challenges at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

On Tuesday, Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka revealed that more than 40,000 students across 76 institutions of higher learning were improperly funded by NSFAS, resulting in an estimated R5.1 billion in irregular funding.

The findings form part of an investigation into the administration and management of NSFAS and its funding processes.

Manamela said the issues identified in the report were not new and had been a longstanding concern for the department, particularly regarding governance, administration and the scheme’s operations.

He said these challenges contributed to his decision to place NSFAS under administration in an effort to stabilise the institution and address its weaknesses.

The findings are also consistent with concerns raised in a report the Minister received earlier this month from the NSFAS Administrator, which identified several challenges requiring urgent intervention.

In March, following a meeting with the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) on the state of NSFAS, Manamela raised serious concerns about the scheme’s financial management and governance.

The Auditor-General had issued a disclaimer of opinion, indicating that the accounting records and supporting evidence were so inadequate that AGSA could not determine whether the financial statements were reliable.

According to the government gazette, the administration intervention was intended to stabilise NSFAS, strengthen its governance and financial management, address systemic weaknesses and ensure that it can effectively fulfil its mandate.

Manamela said further measures to address the challenges would continue to be explored as part of broader efforts to restore stability, strengthen systems and improve the delivery of student funding.

The Minister said he would continue cooperating with the Public Protector as the investigation proceeds and would consider any further findings and recommendations arising from the process.

He said the wellbeing of students and post-school education and training institutions remained at the centre of his intervention.

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.

Manamela said every intervention must ultimately ensure that students receive the funding and support they need to access higher education without unnecessary administrative failures.

He said he remained committed to working with all relevant institutions to address the challenges at NSFAS and strengthen the scheme for the benefit of students.