DA in Western Cape to take on oversight role in NSFAS payments

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has undertaken an oversight visit to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in Cape Town, seeking to assess its readiness for the imminent distribution of grants to a large number of students in the upcoming academic year. This move comes in the wake of a scandal involving Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and NSFAS board chairperson Ernest Khosa, who has since taken leave, as reported by SABC News.

During the visit, DA leader John Steenhuisen addressed the kickback allegations and expressed the party’s intention to petition President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss Blade Nzimande over the corruption claims surrounding NSFAS. The party asserted its commitment to acting in the best interests of students as part of an effort to combat corruption within the ANC, proposing the idea of a mass mobilization campaign across tertiary institutions nationwide.

As reported by EWN, the DA called on NSFAS to ensure the full settlement of all outstanding payments to beneficiaries following the oversight visit to NSFAS headquarters. The financial aid scheme has faced challenges in disbursing payments to students since November of the previous year.

The DA emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the distribution process, outlining plans to assess the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of NSFAS procedures. Additionally, the party put forth the idea of exploring an alternative funding model for higher education institutions.

DA’s Chantel King stated, “Our focus will be on assessing the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of NSFAS processes, ultimately aiming to enhance the support provided to students pursuing higher education.” The oversight visit reflects the party’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the financial aid system and addressing concerns surrounding corruption allegations.

However, the DA has no constitutional mechanism to exploit to achieve their aims in these regards, and with the dominance of the ANC in all institutions, and the ANC’s highly entangled and corrupt patronage networks, the DA is unlikely to see cooperation.