Nzimande appoints acting CEO for troubled NSFAS
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has
appointed Professor Lourens van Staden as acting chairperson of the National
Student Financial Aid Scheme.
It's days after chairperson Ernest Khosa announced that he would be taking a leave of absence from work.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse released a report which implicates Khosa, the SACP and Nzimande in corruption and financial mismanagement at the scheme.
All three parties have denied any wrongdoing.
Nzimande says Van Staden will prioritise the appointment of the scheme's CEO.
"The acting chairperson will also fully implement the report to look at corruption and other shenanigans around the service providers who provide allowances to students."
READ: OUTA: Khosa leave of absence ‘step in right direction’ at NSFAS
Nzimande has rubbished claims that he's proposed an increase in tuition and residence fees for the 2024 academic year.
The remarks come amid media reports suggesting that Nzimande had proposed a hike of between 4.5% and 6.5%.
In a media briefing on Sunday, Nzimande said that an increment in fees cannot be avoided, it will be decided by the University Council.
" All I do is provide guidelines and a framework to say you shall increase university fees by no higher than this because we still protest no increase fees and so on. How do you address the fact that the price of milk goes up every year? The milk that investors are using in their student accommodation books increases every year."
Nzimande also unveiled a brand-new financing scheme for pupils in the so-called "missing middle."
