- An audit found that the student fund paid money to 800 dead students and 14,000 people who earn too much.
- Minister Buti Manamela told the fund to work with the Special Investigating Unit to find those who stole the money.
Higher education minister Buti Manamela has ordered an investigation into the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
This happened after an audit found the scheme paid millions of rands to the wrong people. Auditors could not confirm the fund’s books were correct.
The audit found major failures in how the fund is run. The scheme paid money to 800 students who are dead. Over 14,000 students who earn too much money also get funds.
Hundreds of students got money from the scheme while they also received social grants. The scheme paid many students who already had degrees or did not pass their subjects.
Manamela said people wrongly used money meant for poor students. He told the scheme to use its investigation team to work with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). They will look into fraud and wrong payments.
The minister said any person who lied or committed fraud will face legal action. He said that students who follow the rules do not need to worry.
The audit also showed that student housing was in a bad state. Some students lived in unsafe places near taverns. There was no transport and some landlords took the students’ things.
Manamela ordered an urgent check on all student homes. He said any housing provider that breaks the rules will lose its permission to host students.
The scheme has started to fix some of these problems. It cleared a backlog of reports and worked with the tax office to check student data.
The process to hire a new boss for the scheme is still going on. Manamela said the goal is to build a fair and reliable system for students who need help.
Pictured above: NSFAS logo.
Image source: NSFAS/Facebook
