On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Higher Education conducted an oversight visit to the Central Johannesburg TVET College (CJC), where concerns were raised regarding unallocated NSFAS funds. During the visit, we learned from CJC officials that the institution is unable to return R10,433,496.00 in unallocated funds to NSFAS, despite a report from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) stating that the amount should be returned in accordance with bursary guidelines.
In response, the DA has submitted parliamentary questions to determine how much each higher education institution owes NSFAS, the duration of the outstanding debts, and the details of each specific debt. We will also be submitting a question on the current leadership at TVETs, particularly which institutions have acting heads and when permanent appointments were last made.
The DA believes the Department of Higher Education and Training must take a more serious approach to the critical role TVET colleges play in equipping students with the skills needed to drive economic growth and empowerment.
Furthermore, the DA welcomes the Minister’s announcement of establishing parity between TVET and university living allowances. Having long advocated for this, we will be verifying if all outstanding allowances have been addressed, or if this remains another empty promise.