<\/p>\n
The African National Congress (ANC) has raised concerns about the governance issues within the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) that resulted in student allowance payments being delayed.<\/p>\n
ANC’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the scheme had to prioritise the needs of students timely.<\/p>\n
“It is essential for NSFAS to prioritise timely payment for living expenses, transportation, and accommodation for students,” Mbalula said.<\/p>\n
He addressed a post-NEC briefing on the outcomes of the NEC meeting at the party\u2019s headquarters, Luthuli House in Johannesburg on Thursday.<\/p>\n
NSFAS has been under scrutiny and criticised by students and citizens for its failure to disburse students’ allowances on time.<\/p>\n
During the briefing, Mbalula said they had engaged with Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande to ensure that this was dealt with to avoid their ability to support students.<\/p>\n
The ANC commended the allocation of R3.8 billion towards a comprehensive student funding model that targets students from the “missing middle” segment.<\/p>\n
The ruling party further welcomed the allocation of R4.2 billion aimed to facilitate the registration process for students, ensuring a smooth start to the 2024 academic year.<\/p>\n
However, to strengthen the capacity of the state, Mbalula said the ANC advocated for centralised payments for all state disbursements including NSFAS.<\/p>\n
He stated that the approach would benefit the scheme from the experiences of organisations like SASSA and the post office in disbursing grants.<\/p>\n
Mbalula said the government should also take responsibility for ensuring that students have suitable accommodation.<\/p>\n
“The state should take responsibility for the construction of suitable infrastructure by exploring the human settlement model and utilising existing resources in the public works sector,” he said.<\/p>\n
He added that departments can also collaborate to establish state-owned accommodation.<\/p>\n
“This approach is crucial as neither the market nor the private sector prioritise or resolves the student accommodation crisis due to profit motives.<\/p>\n
“This is crucial for a long-term and comprehensive higher education plan to account for projected increases in the number of successful matriculants concerning available spaces in higher education institutions,” he said.<\/p>\n
He hoped for a good start of the higher education academic year. <\/p>\n
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za<\/p>\n
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