Parliament, Saturday,15 August 2026-The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, Mr Makhi Feni, has called on the Minister of Higher Education to speedily allow the NSFAS Board to start with its duties.
Mr Feni said it would be preferable if part B of the application was withdrawn as well.The court had ruled on Friday that the appointment of the Administrator was unlawful and reinstated the Board with immediate effect.
“The appointment of the administrator seems to have been chaotic from the word go. We must not waste a minute discussing governance challenges as per the court directive. Part B of the application is an unnecessary drama” said Mr Feni.
He said the reported shortcomings in the very short stay of the administrator, Prof Hlengani Mathebula, was an unchoreographed chaos enough to collapse the entity.“The focus must immediately shift to outside the courtroom and focus on efficient management of disbursement of student allowances.”
NSFAS Board was dissolved in April and the Minister had cited a number of reasons at the time including an adverse audit findings, and the resignations of the Chair and the Deputy Chair. Prof Mathebula was expected to turn the entity around in his renewable 24-month stay.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SCIENCES AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, MR MAKHI FENI.
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Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
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Email: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
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