The South African Students Congress (SASCO) led a protest to the Department of Higher Education in Pretoria, where they submitted a memorandum demanding immediate intervention.
The protest follows a decision by NSFAS to defund certain students and delay payments, particularly for accommodation allowances.
Kagisho Sedikila, SASCO’s Mega Tshwane Regional Chairperson, said students have been evicted and forced to deregister despite qualifying for NSFAS support.
The only way to communicate is through email, which receives countless messages daily, with no responses. The call centre is also unresponsive.
‘System Failure’ Leaves Students in Limbo
SASCO National Spokesperson Thuto Mashila described the situation as a recurring system failure, pointing out that students initially approved for funding have now been defunded without explanation.
We have students who were funded in January, they received their status saying that they were funded, but now are getting defunded by NSFAS and their registration data, so that they can receive their allowances, has not been transferred from universities to NSFAS, and this, of course, harms the academic performance of students.
Accommodation Providers Also Affected
Mashila added that some accommodation providers are still owed money by NSFAS for previous academic years. While some continue to support students, the ongoing non-payment places them under significant strain.
Government Response Expected Within a Week
NSFAS stakeholder relations officer Ayabulela Mlisa received the memorandum and assured students that an official response will be issued within seven days.
He added that Higher Education Minister Nobuhle Nkabane is expected to meet with student leaders before the end of the week.
She has made a commitment that she will meet [with] the leadership of students before the end of this week. That will be before we even respond to the issues raised in the memorandum.
