The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education welcomed a briefing from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and post-school education and training sector stakeholders on readiness for the 2026 academic year.
The committee also dealt with the appointments of chief executive officers (CEOs) to the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) where the committee noted that the process seems to have been driven primarily by the need to comply with legislative requirements.
DHET reported that projected first-time student enrolments include 235 000 at 18 universities, 170 000 at TVET colleges and 130 000 at Community Education and Training colleges. However, the demand for access to education and training far outstripped the available spaces.
The committee was concerned about the ongoing student complaints about the poor alignment between NSFAS appeals process timelines and university academic calendars. This misalignment continues to disadvantage students, particularly first-time entrants who must submit funding appeals within a very short timeline just as the academic year begins. The committee stressed that the post-school education and training sector has been slow to address this recurring problem.
To address the issue, the committee recommended that NSFAS adjust its annual calendar to better align with university schedules. Members said this would help prevent repeated delays in funding decisions, which often disrupt students’ academic progress.
Committee Chairperson Mr Tebogo Letsie said that the committee is concerned about the late release of National Senior Certificate results, especially the timeframe between the publication of results, the communication of admission offers to prospective students and the subsequent acceptance of those offers. Of particular concern was the potential impact of the delay on the commencement of the 2026 academic programme, particularly the health sciences-related programmes.
Mr Letsie added that it is difficult to argue for NSFAS to be allocated more money when the entity is still behind in submitting its annual financial statements. He warned that if the National Treasury does not provide additional funding, students may protest, while NSFAS itself continues to struggle to account for funds already appropriated to it.
The committee further expressed concern about ongoing challenges in the NSFAS accommodation project, including delayed payments and cases of students being evicted. Members reminded NSFAS that Parliament has repeatedly recommended that it build strong internal capacity to deliver on its mandate, a recommendation made consistently over three parliamentary terms.
The committee expressed disappointment that the DHET Director-General did not attend the meeting due to ill health. Members raised concerns about his absence, noting that the Director-General was recently seen in the media attending an award ceremony as a recipient.
The committee also received a briefing from the DHET on the process that led to the appointment of eight SETA CEOs. Committee members highlighted that the appointments were irrational and the directive instructing accounting authorities to submit names of CEO candidates to the Minister, which had to happen within 24 hours, lacked transparency and no due diligence was done in the process.
Mr Letsie said the department must ensure it conducts credible processes and practices good governance. In his response, the Minister explained that the appointments were made in accordance with the powers vested in him by legislation and that the decision to confirm a member of any SETA accounting authority is at all times based on the nominations provided to him by their constituencies.
However, committee members questioned the transparency of the process, noting that the accounting authorities themselves were newly constituted and yet were required to recommend candidates for CEO positions in a short space of time. These recommendations were reportedly based on the candidates’ organisational performance in the SETAs they served. The committee identified that the Skills Development Act in its current form is not explicit about the form of the Minister’s consultation with the National Skills Fund, the timeframe for the Minister to consider the CEO recommendations and feedback to the accounting authorities and what should happen in case of non-compliance with the timelines.
During its engagement with the former Chairperson of the NSFAS Board, Dr Karen Stander, on her resignation from the scheme, Dr Stander explained that she had experienced structural exclusion, particularly in certain conversations that sought to silence her voice and override her legitimate responsibilities. She said that during her tenure as Board Chairperson of NSFAS, she also endured a traumatic experience that required counselling for herself and also for her family.
Jabulani Majozi
28 November 2025
Arrange a tour