SOUTH AFRICAN UNION OF STUDENTS
SAUS STATEMENT ON THE LATE NSFAS FUNDING DECISIONS
It has been the sustained view and attitude of the union to work with all
stakeholders in the sector in a cordial, developmental and productive
manner in order to ensure that, collectively we can deliver a successful
registration period and subsequently academic year.
We met with many stakeholders, but in particular the most critical such as the
Department of Higher Education and NSFAS.
In several meetings with NSFAS, one of them being a joint meeting between
the union, the department and the scheme, we registered our misgivings and
rebuke of the 6th of February as the date of releasing the funding decisions, and
further condemned the decision by NSFAS to release the results so late.
We however, in line with collaborative efforts and a tandem commitment from
the scheme that there would be no further delays post the 6th of February, with
feign belief, we begrudgingly acceded.
We further acceded to this date because, as per the commitments of the
scheme, this date was to guarantee us, students and the nation at large
competitive systems to ensure the successful execution of the entire process.
Post that meeting, NSFAS further gave multiple undertakings and commitments
that indeed, by the 6th of February, applicants and the nation at large would
have the funding decisions.
It is with sheer annoyance and exasperation that in fact by the 6th of February,
NSFAS had failed to meet their own deadline, and that in fact hundreds of
thousands of students were still languishing in a state of perpetual paralysis
and limbo as it pertains to their NSFAS status.
This, we want to condemn in the strongest possible terms, as a union, and that
unabated might signal a vote of no confidence on the systems integrity and
capacity of NSFAS.
On the 7th of February 2023, we then requested an urgent meeting with the
scheme, in order to be appraised with the unacceptable delays in funding
decisions, and we received a further depressing state of affairs.
What is most troubling about the incompetence that has been displayed by
NSFAS is that, whilst the children of the poor and working class are being
turned away from institutions for not having money to register, the children of
the rich and ruling class are rampantly occupying the space.
We have regrettably received reports of thousands of poor and working class
students being told by universities that, although they had been accepted, the
universities can no longer admit them because it is now full.
So we have decided that, if NSFAS and the government are not ready to fund
the registration and admission of the poor and working class, then registration
South African Union of Students
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PO BOX 392 UNISA, South Africa, 0003
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Visit our official website for more information: www.saus.org.za
must be halted in all universities to allow the poor to receive their funding from
the state. Universities must immediately halt their registration processes, either
by consensus or by force.
We are calling on student leaders to defend the human right of the poor to
education, it can’t be that, the poor and working class shall be deprived entry
into universities due to the gross incompetence of NSFAS.
