Pretoria: Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has welcomed the recovery of R1.7 billion by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has been returned to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
According to South African Government News Agency, the recovered amount is part of a total of R2 billion that the SIU has so far reclaimed from universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, as well as from unqualified former NSFAS beneficiaries. These funds, unallocated between 2016 and 2021, were initially intended for students who qualified for funding but later changed institutions or deregistered.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Manamela emphasized that the recovered funds would be redirected to meet the needs of deserving students at higher education and training institutions. He noted the significance of the recovery in restoring integrity, accountability, and public confidence in the administration of student financial aid. Manamela stressed that every rand allocated to NSFAS is public money meant to support students from poor and working-class families, and it must be protected and used strictly for that purpose.
The SIU has praised NSFAS for strengthening its systems and moving towards better governance. As part of the broader recovery effort, the SIU has collected R126,478,184.64 from 1,055 parents and unqualified former NSFAS beneficiaries who signed acknowledgements of debt, agreeing to repay the funds over time. The SIU has also urged other unqualified NSFAS beneficiaries, who have not yet been in contact with the unit, to come forward and arrange for repayment.
Manamela reaffirmed his support for the SIU's mandate to investigate corruption, fraud, and maladministration within Post-School Education and Training (PSET) institutions, and to recover any financial losses suffered by the State.