Students still await grants

THOUSANDS of students are in the dark about their academic futures as they await their National Student Financial Aid Scheme grants – nearly four months into the year.

The delay‚ which the DA estimated could affect as many as 200 000 students‚ has seen the University of Free State’s QwaQwa campus shut indefinitely this week‚ and the University of Venda (UV) suspend “all services”.

Limpopo police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said four students were arrested at UV for public violence‚ and police were monitoring the campus.

The DA plans to ask the portfolio committee to summon NSfas chair Sizwe Nxasana to explain why students still hadn’t been paid.

On Tuesday the committee could not meet on the campus due to violent protests triggered by the delays in the payment of grants.

These grants‚ distributed through the ‘sBux’ voucher system‚ are used by thousands of students all over the country to pay for accommodation‚ food‚ books and travel‚” the DA said.

“As it stands‚ there is an entire generation of young people who have been lost because of the poor quality of basic education in South Africa.

“We cannot allow their opportunity for higher education to also be jeopardised.

“We will do everything in our power to try to find out what has led to this crisis and prevent it from escalating‚” the party said.

A student at Unisa‚ who asked to remain anonymous‚ said he hadn’t received any of the allowances he should have as an NSfas beneficiary‚ which includes money for textbooks.

“I have been calling them for updates every week for the six weeks.”

“It’s stressful looking at my study guides‚ the amount of work I have to cover. I have assignments and tests that are looming‚” he said.

“It is a nightmare‚ because the institution is continuing with the academic programme and yet we need to pass current tests to get exam entry without the textbooks‚” he said. — TMG