Students frustrated over NSFAS allowances

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 By: Surprise Golela 

@Surprise_Golela

surprisegolela98@gmail.com


Minister Blade Nzimande
The minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Blade Nzimande has extended the NSFAS allowances to 2021. In his briefing Nzimande announced that NSFAS allowances will be extended to students who require additional months to complete their academic year.



“NSFAS identified some funding to support the extended academic year, and I am pleased to indicate that additional living allowance to cover meals and personal expenses will be made available for those qualifying university students who require additional months to complete their academic year,” said Nzimande.



Students from across the country have welcomed Nzimande’s decision to extend the allowances. Tshepang Radebe a student at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) says the extension of the allowances will help them to buy food until the end of the year. “The NSFAS allowances will help us to at least buy food so that we can be able to study, I am going to also buy my self some new clothes for this festive,” said Radebe. He says as they will be going home soon, he will use that money for transport too. “I was so worried about money for transport to go home, but now that I know NSFAS allowances will be extended I am no longer worried,” he said.


Although the minister announced the extension of NSFAS allowances students from different universities across the country are frustrated as they have not received the allowances yet.

Another student, Ayanda Siyenga, said they have been waiting for the allowances and they are now worried because TUT is not communicating anything to them. “I have been waiting for a very long time, I was hoping that by today the money would be in our accounts,” said Siyenga. She says she does not even have food anymore. “Right now I do not even have food, my landlord wants to chase me away as I am unable to pay my rent for this month and I am scared that I will have nowhere else to go,” said Siyenga. Siyenga pleads with the minister to fast-track the allocation of the allowances.

There have been disruptions of campus activities from last week at Universities like Venda, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and TUT, some of these institutions are left in a very bad state.

Meanwhile, the Deputy vice-chancellor for TUT, Prof Mukhola, have condemned these acts of vandalism at their campuses. “The incidents of protest and victimisation that occurred at the Pretoria and Mbombela campuses today are regrettable and unacceptable,” said Mukhola. He said the university is not yet in a position to release any allowances to students yet. “The university is not in a position to pay the living allowances until NSFAS confirms the releasing of the allowances,” he added.




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