Parly committee demands end to NSFAS instability

May 5, 2026 · 4 min · Episode 49

About this episode

The episode discusses the concerns raised by Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee regarding the instability of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

Parly committee demands end to NSFAS instability Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee expressed concerns with the repeated placement of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) under administration, pleading with Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela to end the instability at the financial aid scheme. Following severe governance, financial and IT failures, Manamela placed the NSFAS under administration, with Professor Hlengani Mathebula appointed as the third administrator since 2018. Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie described the situation as "deeply concerning", citing a "gross" breakdown in governance. "The repeated placement of NSFAS under administration is deeply concerning. It means that, since 2018, the entity has had three administrators appointed to address persistent governance failures, non-compliance with legal recommendations, [and] poor management of student allowances," he said. The latest intervention followed a turbulent period, including a series of resignations from the NSFAS board, most notably that of the interim chairperson Dr Mugwena Maluleka. "Instabilities at senior management and a board level often means the…

Topics covered

NSFAS
Higher Education
Governance
Financial Aid
Political Oversight

Keywords

NSFAS
financial aid
governance
Buti Manamela
Tebogo Letsie
administration
education policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee

Parly committee demands end to NSFAS instability

About this episode

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

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