logo
NSFAS Crisis to Board Scandals: 5 reasons SASCO wants Nkabane out

NSFAS Crisis to Board Scandals: 5 reasons SASCO wants Nkabane out

IOL News30-06-2025
SASCO demands Minister Nobuhle Nkabane's removal, citing NSFAS delays, governance failures, and poor leadership driving education into crisis. They accuse DHET of serving capital over student transformation.
Sasco cited multiple failures under Nkabane's leadership, including severe delays in NSFAS disbursements, flawed board appointments, chronic underfunding of institutions, and the growing commodification of education.
"It is the direct result of poor governance by the Department of Higher Education and Training and the opportunistic, malicious, and poor bourgeoisie agenda by the university and college management.''
Kamatshe said the crisis facing students today is not incidental.
As previously reported by IOL, Nkabane has faced criticism following allegations of corruption and for allegedly misleading Parliament about the illegal appointment of the SETA board, including false details about the appointment process and panel composition.
Speaking at the ANC's Luthuli House on Sunday, Sasco president Alungile Kamtshe said, 'We contend that DHET, led by Minister Nobuhle Nkabane, within the government of national unity, has consistently failed to deliver on its most basic responsibilities.'
The South African Students Congress (SASCO) has called for the immediate removal of Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane , accusing her and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) of catastrophic governance failures that are driving the higher education sector into crisis.
Sasco accused the Nkabane and her department of gross negligence, illegal conduct, and structural violence that disproportionately harms black, poor, and working-class students.
'We are left with no choice but to take a drastic stance in defence of the education sector that has been built through the blood, sweat and tears of the students and the public servants for over the centuries.''
Here are the five main reasons SASCO believes Minister Nkabane must go:
1. Illegal Appointment of the NSFAS Board
SASCO asserts that the current NSFAS board was illegally appointed, violating Section 5 of the NSFAS Act of 1999, which mandates that three out of thirteen board members must be nominated by national student organisations. The absence of these student-nominated representatives, SASCO argues, renders the board illegitimate and its decisions null.
'The Minister has failed in her duty relating to the appointment of the NSFAS board.To this extent, we declare that that board is illegal,'' said Kamtshe.
SASCO plans to take legal action to compel the Minister to comply with the law.
2. Delays in NSFAS Allowances & Student Exclusion
SASCO slammed the catastrophic delays in NSFAS disbursements, saying that thousands of students are still without their allowances midway through the academic year. Many are reportedly homeless, sleeping in libraries, toilets, or on the streets, while institutions issue exclusion letters.
'This is not just bureaucratic incompetence. It is structural violence. Institutions are merciless and have been dishing out exclusion letters to add insult to injury.'
They demand the immediate payment of all allowances by the end of the current recess, and an end to financial, academic, and accommodation-based exclusions,particularly targeting vulnerable first-year students.
3. Mishandling of SETA Board
SASCO alleges the appointment of Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) boards and Community Higher Education Planning Committees (CHPCs) was riddled with secrecy, misrepresentation, and possible dishonesty to Parliament.
'The Minister may have lied to the Portfolio Committee. The process shows a pure disregard for the citizens of this country.'
They warned that the delay in appointments has created a vacuum, giving executives unchecked power due to the absence of board oversight. SASCO demands that the process to appoint new boards to be restarted immediately and be completed by August 1.
4. Negligence Over Student Housing & the Death of Sisonke
The tragic death of Sisonke, a student at Walter Sisulu University, is central to SASCO's call for accountability. SASCO accuses the Minister's office of spreading misinformation, claiming Sisonke was not a student, only for the claim to be proven false.
'The officials that publicly lied, continue to earn their salaries. The death of Sisonke was in vain.'
SASCO demands justice for Sisonke, and calls for NSFAS to accredit institutionally owned residences, especially in historically disadvantaged universities where students live in unsafe and inhumane conditions.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu — this week you finally found your backbone
Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu — this week you finally found your backbone

Daily Maverick

time9 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Letter to Mahlamba Ndlopfu — this week you finally found your backbone

Ah, Chief Dwasaho! We do, indeed, live in interesting times, my President. This week, you finally found your backbone, possibly somewhere under the presidential mattress at Phala Phala Game Reserve, and 'removed' someone from your bloated Cabinet. Hhawu, Matamela! You? Fire someone? And not just anyone – uGal herself! Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, once the proud guardian of our nation's knowledge factories, is now reduced to a political footnote without a farewell bouquet. Did you not know, my leader, that 'Brand' Nkabane was a lifetime in the making? A carefully curated blend of ambition, gloss and Instagrammable grace. But alas, what the ancestors giveth, live television taketh away. I cannot unsee that fatal moment: the Honourable Minister's jaws in motion, chewing bubble gum with the vigour of a teenager bunking maths class, right there in Parliament's sacred halls. I am still flabbergasted. No song, no victory dance Sadly, my leader, the people of South Africa aren't exactly ululating in praise. No victory songs are being sung in taverns or taxi ranks. They murmur that you did not act with the urgency that the moment required. Clearly, they don't know you; Brand Matamela! Let's talk about Andrew Whitfield of the Democratic Alliance (DA), shall we? You took four full moons – yes, four – to remove him from the position of deputy minister of trade, industry and competition after he went AWOL overseas, armed with nothing but a passport and without your presidential blessing. That's right; there was no leave, no permission, just right-wing vibes. And yet, you dithered like a man trying to remember where he last saw his iPad. Seta saga But when it comes to former minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane – a whole black woman with a hard-earned doctorate – you moved her faster than a Gupta jet fleeing from Air Force Base Waterkloof en route to Dubai. Why the haste, Matamela? What did she do that was so egregious? They say her great crime occurred last month when her panel, appointed to oversee the selection of 21 chairpersons and board members for the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) boards, wobbled under relentless public scrutiny. And yes, the 'panel' disappeared quicker than bubble gum dissolving under parliamentary questioning. But really, was that her fault? All she did was remain on brand: deploy cadres and flood the state with African National Congress (ANC) acolytes. In that regard, she followed the sacred text. Just like the Gauteng Department of Health, which has transformed hospital boards into halfway houses for ANC Youth League (ANCYL) 'leaders' with the so-called requisite experience – which, in plain British English, means they once handed out flyers at a branch general meeting four years ago. Whitfield, who? My leader, I hadn't heard of former deputy minister Whitfield before you pulled the trigger. I had to Google the poor chap to ensure he wasn't a backup flyhalf for the Stormers. But Nkabane, now she caught my attention. Not her policies, her speeches, but her honourable reference to Brand Nobuhle Pamela Nkabane after the sirens muted and the blue lights dimmed. I must admit that line stuck with me. It turns out she worked hard for her 'Brand'. A brand built, not on competence or clean governance, but on chewing gum, cadre deployment and curated photo ops. But hey, that is the core of the ANC Brand, right? At least, my President, there's a little cheer in the room. The DA applauded your axing of Dr Nkabane and hastily announced their support for your 2025/26 Budget proposals. What a relief, neh? Baas John Steenhuisen finally gave you the thumbs-up – for now. Perhaps this is what it takes: sacrifice a gum-chewing comrade on the altar of fiscal stability, voilà, and Budget passed. While you're at it, my leader, please send more moola to Tembisa Hospital. It appears comrades there need urgent funds, not for scalpels or syringes, mind you, but for legal fees. Word on the street is some need money for protection from the 28s in prison. Kubi. Theatre of the absurd But what truly baffles me, Comrade Leadership, is the theatre of the absurd now playing out in Parliament's far-left corner – the uMkhonto Wesizwe party caucus. His Worship – sorry, my bad, he now prefers the minimalist title, Dr Mandlakayise John Hlophe – is lobbing fireballs from the backbenches. He's throwing everything but the Nkandla kitchen sink, demanding your removal as if you'd misplaced your oath of office behind the Phala Phala wildlife sofa. And why? Because you had the gall to discipline a minister who got caught being clumsy. I mean, how dare Nkabane get caught? The problem was never the panel; it's that she failed to make it disappear properly. Meanwhile, Honourable Hlophe, a man well versed in being removed, has resurfaced with fury. He wants to know why you haven't also thrown the 'on-leave' minister of police, Senzo Mchunu, to the wolves. He said axing Minister Nkabane was nothing more than appeasing your favourite fiscal gatekeeper, DA leader Baas John Steenhuisen. Is this what we've become, Matamela? A democracy of musical chairs? You remove me, I remove you, and then we all fall. A festival of removals, funded by taxpayers and staged in press briefings and parliamentary plenaries? The poisoned chalice My leader, tell me – did another black woman with a doctorate sip from the poisoned chalice this week? Or shall we say, benefit from it? Was she not mentioned in the great Seta Saga not too long ago? The optics, Matamela, are terrible – like fishnet stockings at a funeral. You removed a black woman, Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, ostensibly for deploying ANC acolytes to the Seta boards. Yet, you turned around, straight-faced, and did the same, just with different comrades and newer name tags. Of sins, PhDs and Buti Manamela And the real kicker? You replaced a woman who had curated an entire political 'brand' with a man with a funny name, Buti Manamela, a wannabe communist. If his ancestors wanted him to be minister, they could have given him a better name, like Manamela Manamela. See, it got groove. But not just any man – a black man, yes – but then you tossed in Nomusa Dube-Ncube, a doctorate-wielding woman, red regalia and all, into the role of Deputy Minister. Are you for real, Matamela? A whole PhD holder who reports to a minister, who answers to a Cabinet, that you only occasionally control? What is this? A Game of Thrones spinoff sponsored by National Treasury and shot in downtown Johannesburg? You axed one for alleged sins and rewarded another despite the same allegations clinging to their robes like stubborn chewing gum. So, who's fooling whom here, Comrade Leadership? Murder scene mentorships Honestly, my leader, you've had a far better week than the self-styled Sushi King, Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene. The former prisoner turned 'businessman' turned politician found himself – wait for it – not in the Johannesburg Council Chamber, not on a panel, but at the plush Sandton residence of one Katiso 'KT' Molefe, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of DJ Sumbody, real name Oupa Sefoka. The timing couldn't have been better: as Kunene arrived, the police swooped in to rearrest Molefe. Netflix dreams and empires Now, you'd think most public figures would have the good sense to socially distance themselves from murder suspects. But not Comrade Kunene. No, he embarked on an unbothered, unrepentant media tour, armed with a bold story that deserves a Netflix deal. According to him, he was accompanying a young journalist – a prodigy, no less – who's set to inherit his entire publishing empire, African News Global. This bright-eyed scribe, we are told, needed to interview Molefe, who, by the way, is awaiting trial in another murder case. The goal? To give 'Mr Sandton Businessman' a fair chance to respond to the allegations. I must confess: I, too, hope to have a mentor like Kenny Kunene one day. A man of means, morals and murder-scene meet-and-greets. A comrade who will hold my hand as I interview alleged killers. How tender. Not my chommie And to be clear, Kunene doesn't know Molefe. They're not friends, not associates, not comrades. Sound familiar? Just strangers in a lounge where the bloodstains are still fresh in the air. Nothing to see here, folks. Aah Leadership, July is the longest year since the Gregorian calendar was invented. Till next week, my man. Send me to Sandton to interview a murder suspect. DM

A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Putting brand Nkabane over serving students and SA
A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Putting brand Nkabane over serving students and SA

The Citizen

time13 hours ago

  • The Citizen

A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Putting brand Nkabane over serving students and SA

The façade of selflessness has slipped to show the narcissism beneath. When Nobuhle Nkabane stood to take an oath as minister in July 2024, she pledged faithfulness to SA, obedience to the constitution, and to put the duty of serving South Africans above all else. That promise lasted less than a year, as the façade of selflessness slipped to show the narcissism beneath. Nkabane has been accused of cronyism, corruption, and straight-up lying to parliament over appointments to the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Seta) board, which included ANC members. When her great cover-up started to unravel, with the mentioned officials denying any involvement in the appointments, she seemed to swerve accountability by running from parliament. After nearly two months of pressure, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday booted her from Cabinet. She was supposed to appear before parliament on Tuesday, and concerns about what she might have said, if she did appear, might well have been the reason the president finally took action. Brand before South Africa Ramaphosa's announcement was made without praise, or thanks for Nkabane. Something that must have really stung her. Hours after her dismissal, Nkabane was suddenly available and ready to do an interview with a broadcaster to 'clear' her name. She spoke about her desperation to appear before parliament to tell her side of the story — an institution she was allergic to for several weeks. More concerning was her repeated and obsessive reference to her 'brand'. 'This goes beyond my position in parliament. It is all about my reputation. I worked for my brand, and I must clear my name and my brand,' she said in defiance of calls for her to resign from parliament over the saga. 'What is more important is my reputation. I don't want it tarnished. I am not corrupt. I will never be corrupt,' she said at another point. Nobody likes to be judged, but when you are a public figure who has committed to putting the interests of the country ahead of yourself, that judgment is not only expected, but is compulsory. It is called accountability. ALSO READ: From tiger to a pouncing police cat? Ramaphosa is remixing the 'corrupt' until a new caretaker arrives Schemes and criminals Accountability seems to be in short supply when corrupt schemes come crashing down. One of those schemes began to shake this week when four people were arrested for the murder of musician and businessman Oupa John Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody. Among those arrested was businessman Katiso 'KT' Molefe, who was among those mentioned in KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's claims of criminal infiltration within the police. The firearms used in the artist's death were linked to 10 other high-profile cases, suggesting that the web of crime is extensive and often protected. Where it isn't protected, the ball is being dropped by the police at grassroots level. This was seen in the investigating officer in the bail application of Tiffany Meek, accused of murdering her son Jayden-Lee, who was unable to verify addresses for her bail application, and so was not able to gauge whether she is a flight risk. Police are often overworked, under-resourced, or lacking in skills. It is something they share with organisations in several departments, including the one Nkabane once headed. These are the 'brands' and organisations we should be building and protecting, not that of an alleged dodgy former minister. NOW READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Ramaphosa risks losing control of Cabinet

Malema's three-point comeback plan for fired higher education minister
Malema's three-point comeback plan for fired higher education minister

The South African

timea day ago

  • The South African

Malema's three-point comeback plan for fired higher education minister

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema hosted a press conference on Thursday, 24 July, ahead of the party's 12th anniversary. During the briefing, he addressed a range of political issues, including President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent decision to remove Dr Nobuhle Nkabane from her position as Minister of Higher Education and Training. Malema, who has been a prominent figure in politics from a young age, shared some advice for Nkabane in the wake of her dismissal. The Red Berets leader believes that with just three changes, the former minister can make a comeback. 'It's so painful. She's so young, she still has a chance to come back. I've seen people get demoted politically, and then they go rework on themselves, and then they come back,' said Malema. The politician offered some constructive advice. 'The first thing she must do is to stop chewing gum in a meeting. She was still doing it even yesterday, there in parliament. The second thing is she must be humble and know that she doesn't know and be prepared to be guided and be advised by proper people,' said the EFF leader. Finally, Malema said Nkabane must go back to her branch and learn, saying she was not ready to be a minister. In an interview with eNCA , Nkabane said she accepted her removal and viewed it in a positive light. Ramaphosa dismissed Nkabane in terms of Section 91(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. He has since appointed Buti Kgwaridi Manamela as Minister of Higher Education and Training. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store