The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has expressed deep concern over incidents of violence against its officials at university campuses around South Africa. Officials and staff were deployed to campuses around the country to assist students with NSFAS mastercards enquiries.
In May 2023, NSFAS-funded University students around the county were instructed to onboard themselves onto the system to begin receiving their allowances directly from June 2023.
The introduction of the direct payment system has been fraught with challenges with students complaining about exorbitant bank charges and the inability to access their allowances.
These challenges prompted NSFAS to deploy officials representing service providers to campuses across the country to assist students with NSFAS mastercard challenges.
Student Representative Council (SRC) members at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) said that the new direct payment system has excluded students from receiving funding. They said the system cannot be allowed to operate at the expense of students.
In a video posted on social media, a student leader is engaging with a representative from eZaga, one of the service providers contracted by NSFAS to pay allowances, raising concerns about challenges with the system. The student leader concludes by stating that they will meet on the streets to reject eZaga.
It is believed that this is the engagement that led NSFAS to release a statement condemning acts of violence and incitement of violence.
NSFAS Responds
NSFAS said they are committed to holding the assailants accountable and will be collaborating with law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities to ensure justice. They emphasise that they have a zero-tolerance policy towards harm or intimidation towards officials
In addition to addressing the immediate security concerns, NSFAS is engaging with stakeholders, including institution and student representatives, to find long-term solutions to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
NSFAS adds that they are engaging with stakeholders to find long-term solutions and promote a culture of respect and peaceful dialogue during the implementation of the new NSFAS allowance payment system.
Collaborative efforts are being made to promote a culture of respect, constructive dialogue, and peaceful resolution of any issues or grievances that may arise during the implementation of new initiatives.
The scheme added that they remain committed to providing financial aid to deserving students while also ensuring a safe and conducive environment for its officials.
