Political party Rise Mzansi said the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, should be held accountable and take full responsibility for corruption at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
“The corruption and maladministration taking place at the NSFAS is unacceptable and we can no longer tolerate these kinds of actions,” it said.
This follows a recent damning forensic report by Werksmans Attorneys that had implicated the scheme’s CEO Andile Nongogo in alleged corruption, fraud, and illegal tender dealing.
Nongogo has now been fired from his position. This was confirmed by officials of NSFAS who went before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in Parliament on Tuesday.
NSFAS board chairperson, Ernest Khoza, told Scopa that the decision was taken late on Monday night.
In a statement, Rise Mzansi welcomed the board’s decision to fire Nongogo. It also welcomed the decision to terminate contracts with the four fintech companies that were responsible for the payments.
“We cannot ignore that the correct procedures were not adhered to when these companies were procured which ultimately led to the payment delays.
“We can no longer accept government ineptness while the most vulnerable of society continue to suffer,” it said. It said Nzimande’s leadership led the scheme to the ground.
“Under the leadership of the current Nzimande, NSFAS has become an institution that is prone to scandal, corruption, and grave fiscal mismanagement,” it said.
The party said he was enjoying the ANC’s protection, as secretary-general Fikile Mbalula recently announced that no ministers would be removed from their positions before the 2024 general elections.
NSFAS is responsible for the higher education funding of over one million underprivileged students across South Africa.
“This illustrates that to the ANC, cadre deployment matters more than the 1.1 million students who remain vulnerable and at the mercy of an uncaring government,” it said.
Rise Mzansi vowed to continue to fight for the rights of students and to fight against government incompetence that threatened the materialisation of equal education opportunities.
It further urged young people to use the power of their vote to usher in a reset in 2024.
It called on the youth to also register to vote during the registration weekend on November 18 and 19 to build a safe, prosperous, equal, and united South Africa.
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