By Thapelo Molefe

Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has warned that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is facing an estimated R15 billion funding shortfall, saying the growing gap threatens the sustainability of South Africa’s fee-free higher education policy.

Briefing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday on progress in stabilising NSFAS under administration, Manamela said the shortfall had grown from about R2.5 billion in 2018 to R13.5 billion last year and was now estimated at about R15 billion.

“The most significant and I think unresolved issue remains the financial position at the NSFAS,” Manamela said.

He said the funding crisis was largely driven by growing demand for higher education, while the NSFAS allocation was effectively fixed through the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and did not automatically increase with the number of students qualifying for funding.

“We have a policy to provide free education on the one hand. On the other hand, we have an allocation that is almost set in stone in the medium-term expenditure framework and in the budget for a cycle,” he said.

Manamela said the number of learners progressing from Grade 12 into higher education was increasing, putting further pressure on the student funding system.

He said government needed to confront whether it was prepared to provide the resources required to sustain fee-free higher education.

“We have made a commitment to South Africans that we will provide fee-free higher education, and we have to go and find the money,” he said.

“And if we don’t have that money from the national fiscus or from wherever, we need to rethink our approach towards a fee-free higher education.”

Manamela said the issue could not be treated as a problem belonging only to NSFAS or the Higher Education Department, but required a broader government response.

He said government was already discussing the matter with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, while policy proposals were also being developed.

The minister also raised concerns about the current state of NSFAS, which has been under administration since May.

He said the administrator’s initial stabilisation plan had correctly identified systemic weaknesses, including governance, financial controls, data, information and communications technology, audit remediation, accommodation, appeals and stakeholder confidence.

However, Manamela cautioned that the plan should not itself be regarded as evidence that NSFAS had been stabilised.

“Our preliminary assessment as the department is that the plan remains stronger at the level of strategic commitment than at implementation level,” he said.

He said the plan required clearer baselines, costed interventions and measurable milestones, as well as a clear framework for determining when the administrator would be able to exit.

“The test is whether NSFAS is measurably moving from instability towards reliable performance,” Manamela said.

The minister said the administrator had inherited serious structural weaknesses, including unreliable data systems, problems reconciling billing and registration records, accommodation payment challenges and defects in the appeals system.

He said historical reconciliation failures had also affected students’ ability in some cases to clear their accounts, obtain certificates and progress with further studies or employment.

Manamela identified student accommodation as the biggest immediate challenge facing NSFAS.

He said tens of thousands of students were currently recorded as being in non-accredited accommodation and stressed that students should not be punished for structural shortages.

“It is important that we send the message that students should not be penalised or punished for structural shortages,” he said.

“Temporary exceptions cannot become a permanent substitute for minimum safety, for quality and financial control standards.”

He said NSFAS needed a reliable accreditation and deviation database, stronger verification and payment controls, and systems to ensure legitimate accommodation providers were paid on time while students were protected from eviction caused by administrative failures.

Manamela also highlighted the so-called “missing middle” funding gap, saying NSFAS had received about 53,000 applications under the loan scheme, but only about 3,000 had been assessed as eligible.

He said the issue formed part of the longer-term discussion about stabilising student funding.

The minister also addressed concerns about the remuneration of the administrator and the appointment or contracting of people supporting the administration.

He said the administrator was appointed with effect from 4 May under sections 17A to 17D of the NSFAS Act, with the appointment published in the Government Gazette.

However, determining the administrator’s remuneration required concurrence from the Finance Minister, a process Manamela acknowledged had taken longer than it should have.

“The Department and I are engaging with the Minister of Finance urgently to ensure that this matter is finalised,” he said.

Manamela said he had also requested a complete account of the people appointed or contracted to support the administrator, including documentation relating to remuneration, contracts and the legal basis for the appointments.

“Everything that happens at the NSFAS has to happen within the law,” he said.

He said the department remained supportive of the administrator but would ensure that the processes followed in appointing the supporting team complied with the law.

With the next funding cycle approaching, Manamela said NSFAS’s readiness for 2027 would need to be measured against clear milestones covering applications, systems, funding policy, appeals and accommodation planning.

“2027 readiness must also be tested against hard milestones, applications and systems,” he said.

The minister said the administration should ultimately result in the rebuilding and redesign of NSFAS so that it no longer required repeated interventions.

“Administration cannot become NSFAS’s permanent governance model,” he said.

“The purpose of this intervention must be to rebuild an institution that no longer requires an intervention during crisis and therefore an administrator.”

Manamela said the department, NSFAS administration and Parliament should judge the progress of the intervention against that standard.

“Where mistakes have been made, I think they should and must be corrected. And where allegations require investigations, appropriate processes have to follow,” he said.

“The overriding obligation remains unchanged to build an NSFAS that performs its mandate reliably, lawfully, sustainably for the students of this country.”

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By Levy Masiteng 

Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile has told affected schools to get their VAT affairs in order, saying that changes to the tax treatment of schools require them to review their records, deal with outstanding returns and apply for deregistration where necessary.

The changes took effect on 1 January 2026, when supplies made by schools registered under the South African Schools Act became exempt from Value-Added Tax.

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As a result, most affected schools no longer conduct an “enterprise” for VAT purposes and are required to exit the VAT system.

However, the Gauteng Department of Education said deregistration was not automatic, and schools that remain registered as VAT vendors must apply to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) to be deregistered.

“We call on principals, School Governing Bodies and those entrusted with the financial administration of our schools to familiarise themselves with these changes and ensure that their institutions comply. Good governance requires that every school understands its financial and statutory obligations and acts accordingly,” Maile said.

The department said schools must continue submitting the required VAT returns while their registrations remain active, with those returns generally expected to be nil unless adjustments are required.

Schools that charged VAT on supplies on or after 1 January 2026 must declare that VAT in the relevant VAT201 return. If a school later issues a credit note and refunds the VAT, the relevant adjustment may be made in line with SARS requirements.

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Affected schools must also assess whether they face so-called “exit VAT”.

Under section 8(2) of the VAT Act, a school may be required to account for VAT on certain goods and rights that formed part of its VAT enterprise and were retained when it stopped conducting that enterprise.

These could include certain trading stock, equipment, furniture, improvements to property and other enterprise assets where input VAT had previously been deducted.

SARS determines the position with reference to assets held immediately before schools ceased conducting an enterprise, effectively as at 31 December 2025.

Not every asset will attract exit VAT. Exclusions include goods or services on which input tax was denied, as well as donated goods or assets acquired for no consideration where the relevant cost is regarded as nil.

Schools that are liable for exit VAT will only be required to pay it from 1 January 2027 and may settle the amount in 12 equal monthly instalments.

Where a school requires a period longer than 12 months, this must be agreed with SARS upfront.

SARS has indicated that penalties and interest will not be imposed on exit VAT where payment is made through the prescribed 12-month instalment arrangement from 1 January 2027, or within another period agreed with SARS.

“We want schools to understand both the opportunity and the responsibility created by these changes. This is not simply an accounting exercise. School finances are public resources entrusted to institutions for the benefit of learners, and they must therefore be managed with discipline, transparency and accountability,” Maile said.

There is a limited exception for schools that qualify as welfare organisations and conduct qualifying welfare activities.

Those wishing to remain VAT registered must apply to SARS for a VAT ruling confirming their welfare organisation status, welfare activities and the extent to which they may remain registered as VAT vendors.

The department urged affected schools to review their VAT records, determine whether VAT was charged after 1 January 2026, identify enterprise assets that could give rise to exit VAT and ensure all outstanding returns and other obligations are addressed.

It also warned schools against relying on unofficial information or making assumptions about their obligations, saying they should seek guidance from the department and SARS where there is uncertainty.

“We expect our School Governing Bodies to exercise the fiduciary responsibilities entrusted to them with the highest level of care. Compliance with tax legislation forms part of responsible financial governance. Every rand available to our education system must ultimately contribute towards creating better conditions for teaching and learning,” Maile said.

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By Levy Masiteng

A case of malicious damage to property has been opened at Alexandra Police Station after four desks and two chairs were destroyed by fire at Eastbank High School in Alexandra, Gauteng.

The incident, which took place on Tuesday, disrupted teaching and learning at the already overcrowded school, prompting Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile to condemn the destruction of school property.

Learners at Eastbank High School in Alexandra were sent home early after some pupils allegedly tried to set the school alight using old furniture. Learners say they were battling the cold due to broken classroom windows, while the school reportedly also faces damaged… pic.twitter.com/z0YlDC1hBO

— BEAST OF NEWS (@EversonLuhanga) August 11, 2026

According to the Gauteng Department of Education, a preliminary report indicated that the furniture was destroyed by fire on the school premises.

Maile said the school would institute disciplinary proceedings against learners identified in connection with the incident.

“We are deeply disappointed and disturbed by what has happened at Eastbank High School. There is absolutely no excuse for burning education infrastructure, learning materials or furniture,” said Maile.

“We cannot complain about shortages today and destroy the very same scarce resources tomorrow. Every desk and every chair matters, particularly in a school already experiencing severe pressure on its available resources.”

ALSO READ: KZN schools urged to make mental health awareness part of school culture

The incident came as Eastbank High grapples with major resource and capacity challenges.

According to the department, the school was built to accommodate about 1,200 learners but currently has 2,063, meaning it is accommodating 863 more learners than it was designed for.

The furniture shortage is equally severe, with the school reporting a need for about 1,200 desks and 600 chairs.

The department said it has already delivered 1,000 chairs and 150 desks during 2026, bringing the total furniture delivered this year to 1,150 pieces.

Despite this intervention, significant shortages remain.

“When a school tells us it needs another 1,200 desks and approximately 600 chairs, burning four desks and two chairs cannot be dismissed as an insignificant act,” Maile said.

“Six pieces of furniture destroyed means six resources have been removed from an already constrained school environment. Government must now replace resources that should still have been available to learners. This cycle of destruction and replacement is unsustainable.”

The department has also responded to reports that the furniture was burned because learners were cold due to broken classroom windows.

It said all windows at the school had been repaired during the previous year and that the school started the 2026 academic year without broken windows.

The school has since reported that approximately 60 windows require repairs following recent learner damage.

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The department also said extensive repairs to doors were carried out about three months ago, but eight doors currently require further repairs.

“We started the academic year with the windows repaired. Today, we are again confronted with approximately 60 windows requiring attention,” said Maile.

“We repaired doors three months ago, and eight doors again require repairs. This cannot become a revolving door where government and schools continuously spend limited public money repairing the same infrastructure because it is repeatedly damaged.”

Maile called on School Governing Bodies to strengthen the management of resources and ensure routine maintenance is dealt with before problems become more expensive.

“We cannot have schools struggling indefinitely with simple maintenance matters where resources and responsibilities exist at school level. SGBs have an important governance responsibility. They must budget properly, prioritise maintenance and ensure that the resources entrusted to schools are managed prudently,” he said.

The department said it would continue working with the school leadership and SGB to address the immediate furniture shortages, maintenance problems and overcrowding.

It will also cooperate with SAPS in the malicious damage to property investigation and ensure disciplinary processes are followed against learners implicated in the incident.

The department said counselling and support structures had also been activated following the death of a popular teacher at the school.

“We understand that learners are grieving. We understand the pain associated with losing a teacher who played such an important role in their lives. We will support them through that grief. But grief cannot become a licence to destroy,” Maile said.

“We must end this culture of hooliganism. We will acknowledge our shortcomings and fix what government is responsible for fixing. We expect SGBs to fulfil their responsibilities. But we equally expect learners, parents and communities to protect what belongs to them,” Maile said.

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By Lebone Rodah Mosima

KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka has urged schools to make mental health awareness part of their culture, warning that learners are facing growing pressures that can contribute to disengagement and dropping out of school.

Hlomuka was speaking on Tuesday at Anton Lembede Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) School during the launch of the Digital School Mental Health Pilot Programme, developed in partnership with Cloud Therapist.

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He said young people were navigating a difficult environment marked by academic and peer pressure, social media, bullying, family challenges, economic hardship, violence, uncertainty about the future and, in many cases, trauma.

“For our matriculants, these pressures can be particularly intense. The Matric Class of 2026 is approaching one of the most important milestones of their schooling journey,” Hlomuka said.

“They are expected to work hard but also to remain focused as they prepare for examinations that can open doors to further education, training, and employment.”

Hlomuka said behind every matriculant was a young person with dreams, fears, insecurities and challenges that may not be immediately visible.

“This is why mental health awareness must become part of the culture of our schools,” he said.

“Through these programmes, we are creating environments where young people can talk.”

He said the department had found that many young people, particularly boys, viewed asking for help as a sign of weakness or something unacceptable.

Hlomuka urged schools and parents to teach learners that seeking assistance was a sign of strength.

“Hurt people hurt people – including themselves. We see this sometimes in the behaviour of young people. A learner who bullies another learner may be carrying pain of their own,” he said.

“A learner who is aggressive may be responding to circumstances we know nothing about. A learner who withdraws from others may be struggling silently.”

He stressed that understanding the circumstances behind harmful behaviour did not mean excusing it, saying accountability remained important.

However, he said responses should go beyond punishment by focusing on prevention, awareness and early intervention.

“That is why prevention and awareness can help us identify that pain early for an opportunity to intervene before it becomes destructive – either towards others or towards the young person themselves,” he said.

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“Often times, knowing that somebody cares can make the difference between giving up and carrying on.”

Hlomuka said learners should be encouraged to work hard while also taking time to rest, talk, seek help and look after their emotional well-being.

He said the digital component of the programme was important because young people were increasingly comfortable using technology.

“We know that technology does not yet have the capacity to replace the human relationship between a learner and a caring teacher, parent, counsellor or professional,” he said.

“However, using platforms that they are familiar with can help us bring information, awareness, and support closer to learners.”

Hlomuka stressed that the pilot was not a programme developed by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, but an initiative conceived and developed outside the department.

He said the department supported the initiative because of its potential to benefit the education sector and was not seeking ownership of it.

“Our role is to support it, to encourage it, to learn from it, and, within our means, to help create the conditions in which its benefits can reach more learners and more schools,” he said.

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Staff Reporter

Former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka will deliver the keynote address at a national summit in Pretoria on Thursday that will examine the growing influence of digital creators on young voters and democratic participation ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The National Influencer Code Summit will bring together young people, social media influencers, digital creators, political leaders, democratic institutions, civil society groups, academics, and media to discuss how online influence can be used to encourage participation in democratic processes.

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The gathering comes as digital platforms play an increasingly prominent role in how young South Africans consume information, debate public issues and form opinions about matters affecting their communities.

Organisers said influencers and digital creators can reach audiences that traditional institutions sometimes struggle to engage, but said that reach also carries responsibilities.

The summit will examine electoral integrity, misinformation and disinformation, online safety, public trust and ethical influence, as well as ways of converting digital engagement into greater participation in local democracy.

As South Africa moves towards the municipal elections, organisers said democratic institutions needed to engage young people in the spaces where they increasingly participate in public life.

“The Summit seeks to encourage a culture in which influence is understood not only as reach, but also as responsibility,” the organisers said.

ALSO READ: Hlomuka tells schools to make mental health a priority

Mlambo-Ngcuka, who also served as executive director of UN Women, is expected to focus on youth participation, civic engagement and the responsible use of influence in strengthening democratic institutions.

The summit is being convened by Club de Madrid in partnership with Women of Firsts by Asanda Luwaca as part of an initiative titled The Influence Code: Youth Shaping Democracy in the Digital Age.

The initiative is being held in South Africa under the Women and Youth in Democracy programme, which is supported by the European Commission.

Organisers said the rise of digital creators presented an opportunity to engage people who might otherwise remain outside traditional political and civic structures, while also raising questions about the accuracy of information, accountability and the influence wielded by people with large online audiences.

Influencers and creators increasingly have the ability to reach audiences traditional institutions may not, “creating both an opportunity and a responsibility to use that influence constructively,” the statement said.

The summit will be held at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Pretoria from 8am to 5pm.  

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By Thapelo Molefe

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has ordered an urgent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving educators and learners at Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation in Emdeni, Soweto.

The Gauteng Department of Education said the investigation would establish the number of formal complaints lodged against educators, the nature of the allegations, when they were reported, and what action was taken by school and district officials.

The move follows a complaint involving a Grade 11 learner who allegedly received an inappropriate sexual remark from an educator during the second term.

According to information formally submitted by the school, the principal referred the complaint to the Johannesburg Central District Dispute Management Office on Friday, and requested urgent intervention.

The learner provided a written account of the alleged interaction, while another learner who said she was present submitted a statement that substantially supported the allegation.

The educator has denied making inappropriate remarks and provided his own account of what happened during a subsequent engagement at the principal’s office.

The department said it was also investigating broader concerns raised by learner formations and members of the school community that other educators could be implicated in separate allegations involving learners.

However, it stressed that claims about the number of educators allegedly implicated had not been established as fact.

“We are dealing with extremely serious allegations. Schools must be places of safety, learning and development. No educator or official has the right to use a position of authority to sexually harass, exploit, intimidate or violate a learner,” Maile said.

“Equally, no person entrusted with a complaint from a learner has the right to sweep it under the carpet. We will establish the facts and act decisively wherever wrongdoing is established.”

The investigation will also examine claims that complaints involving inappropriate conduct may date back to 2022.

The department said it would examine school and district records to establish whether complaints were lodged during that period, who received them, how they were processed and whether officials acted in accordance with their responsibilities.

Maile has directed the department to establish whether other learners have raised similar allegations and whether these matters were previously brought to the attention of school management or departmental officials.

Where evidence shows that a complaint concerning a learner’s safety was reported and an official failed to act, attempted to conceal it, discouraged reporting or neglected their responsibility to protect learners, the department said appropriate action would be taken.

The department will also determine whether precautionary measures are required against any implicated employees while the investigation and applicable employment processes are underway.

It stressed that such measures, where warranted, would be intended to protect learners and the integrity of the investigation and would not amount to a finding of guilt.

The department said it was particularly concerned about the possibility that learners could fear intimidation, retaliation or not being believed when reporting sexual harassment or other misconduct.

“Every learner who comes forward must therefore be treated with dignity, sensitivity and confidentiality. No learner should be victimised for reporting alleged misconduct or assisting an investigation,” it said.

The department also pointed to previous psychosocial interventions at Curtis Nkondo School of Specialisation.

In April 2026, a departmental psychosocial team visited the school following the death of a Grade 12 learner. Learners received psychoeducation and opportunities to discuss their experiences.

During that intervention, learners reportedly expressed a need for educators to receive similar support and said they sometimes felt misunderstood or dismissed.

Maile said this highlighted the need for schools to create environments where learners can report concerns and expect adults to respond.

“We must build a culture in every school where a child can report something uncomfortable or inappropriate without fear. The first responsibility of adults in our schools is to protect children,” he said.

“We will listen to the learners, parents and learner formations, we will examine the records, and we will hold accountable anyone against whom wrongdoing is established through a fair process.”

The department called on parents, learners, learner formations, educators and others with relevant information to cooperate with the investigation and formally report additional allegations.

It also urged the public and media to protect the identities of affected learners and avoid publishing information that could directly or indirectly identify them.

“We will neither protect perpetrators nor prejudge allegations. Our responsibility is to protect learners, establish the truth, and ensure accountability. Every learner who enters a Gauteng school must know that their dignity, safety, and right to education are non-negotiable,” Maile said.

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