The DA condemns the burning of the offices of the Northern Cape Urban Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College offices in Kimberley this week by students protesting the delays in receiving their National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) allowances.
Students who have been unable to pay rent or study fees due to NSFAS’ failures are being put in an impossible position – but burning and breaking TVET College offices and campuses will never solve the problems NSFAS has created. The DA condemns the destruction of property.
The burning of TVET offices will only further hamper the students’ end goal. Their frustration and delays while NSFAS tries to complete their “reconciliation process” – which became necessary after the switch from direct payment partners back to NSFAS – is now boiling over. NSFAS must rapidly complete this process in such a way that causes no suffering to vulnerable students. Payment cannot be withheld any longer.
The DA will submit parliamentary questions to NSFAS to find out how many students have been affected by the Scheme’s reconciliation process, as well as what it’s doing to ensure that students do not become destitute, suffer hunger, or have to interrupt their academic year due to NSFAS failures.