By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The South African Union of Students (SAUS) has accused the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of pushing thousands of students into hunger, uncertainty and possible eviction after freezing allowances for more than 12,000 beneficiaries while the scheme is under administration.

SAUS said this week that students across the country had been placed under “Gap Investigation” (verification) despite having qualified for NSFAS funding.

“At the verge of tests and final examinations, thousands of students have not received their meal allowances from NSFAS, accommodation allowances have not been paid to landlords.”

The union said the delays had subjected students to hunger, uncertainty, psychological distress and the risk of eviction from accommodation providers nationwide.

It said it was unacceptable that students were expected to prepare for examinations under “inhumane and unstable conditions”.

SAUS said it had consistently warned about the dangers of instability at NSFAS while the scheme was under administration.

NSFAS was placed under administration by Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela earlier this month after what he said was governance instability, legal concerns and operational weaknesses at the scheme.

At the time, Manamela said the intervention was intended to protect continuity, including student funding, allowances and appeals.

“To date, there remains uncertainty regarding lines of accountability and communication within NSFAS,” the union said.

“We are equally alarmed by the growing number of students being defunded by NSFAS while appeals processes were resolved and students were provisionally funded.”

It also warned that the higher education sector could continue to face serious consequences linked to the so-called “close-out project”, where SAUS says qualifying students risk being unable to graduate or obtain their qualifications because of historical and administrative debt.

“This is a serious threat to student success and academic progression,” the union said.

SAUS called on NSFAS to unfreeze all meal and accommodation allowances for affected students, settle all outstanding payments owed to landlords, and improve governance and leadership structures to ensure accountability and effective communication with stakeholders.

It also called for the urgent finalisation and approval of the 2026 NSFAS funding guidelines.

The union further demanded that meal allowances be increased beyond the current R1,650 threshold, that NSFAS funding be urgently reinstated for all defunded students, and that tuition shortfalls owed to institutions be settled to prevent unfair debt accumulation and exclusion.

“SAUS will continue to defend the rights and dignity of students and will not fold its arms while poor and working-class students are subjected to suffering due to administrative failures and sponsored instability within NSFAS,” it said.

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training postponed a scheduled meeting with Manamela on Tuesday.

It said the meeting was postponed because the department had not submitted its presentation to the committee. Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie said the committee had expected Manamela to brief MPs on his decision to place NSFAS under administration, but the department’s non-submission had made the meeting impossible.

Manamela’s office, however, said the postponement occurred in the context of urgent litigation proceedings instituted by former NSFAS board members relating to the decision to place NSFAS under administration, as well as related legal and procedural processes.

Manamela said he remained “fully committed to parliamentary accountability and will continue engaging the Portfolio Committee appropriately and constructively, including on a suitable future date to be agreed upon with the Committee.”

He also reiterated that all decisions regarding NSFAS had been aimed at protecting student funding continuity, restoring governance stability, strengthening accountability, and safeguarding the long-term integrity and sustainability of NSFAS as a public institution serving poor and working-class students.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

Gauteng education MEC Lebogang Maile has officially launched the “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” Thuto-Pele – Education First community outreach programme.

The two-month initiative seeks to create direct engagement between government, communities and education stakeholders on challenges affecting schools and surrounding communities.

According to the Gauteng Department of Education, the programme will focus on issues including learner safety, crime, vandalism, substance abuse and improving overall education outcomes in public schools.

ALSO READ: Gauteng schools buckle under rising municipal bills

In a statement, Maile said the campaign would be rolled out across 46 communities in all 15 school districts in Gauteng.

“Over the coming weeks, we will be embarking on the “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” community engagements across the length and breadth of our province. We have scheduled 46 community meetings across all 15 districts so that we can engage with stakeholders in the education sector,” he said.

Maile added that the engagements would bring together community members, parents, learners, teachers, school governing bodies, churches, youth formations and civic organisations to collectively address challenges facing schools.

The programme, led jointly by the Gauteng Department of Education and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, is intended to strengthen partnerships between government and local communities.

“These engagements are aimed at strengthening collaboration between government, communities and local stakeholders to identify solutions, protect schools and improve education outcomes in public schools across the province,” Maile said.

ALSO READ: Gauteng records 26 088 new hypertension cases among adults under 45

The first community engagement took place on Monday at the Faranani Multipurpose Centre in Tsakane, where community members raised concerns about disruptions to teaching and learning caused by violent incidents among learners, including stabbings at schools.

Residents told the MEC that their communities remain among the hardest hit by education-related challenges in the province, particularly learner violence, substance abuse and school safety concerns.

During the first week of the programme, Maile is expected to visit the Gauteng East and Ekurhuleni North districts, engaging communities in Geluksdal, Tsakane, Etwatwa, Tembisa, Edenvale, Kempton Park, Birchleigh, Elandsfontein and Daveyton.

Maile said education should not be left solely to schools, describing it as a collective societal responsibility.

“We are calling on everyone to step up and be part of the solution,” he said.

The department has encouraged parents, youth groups, taxi operators, faith-based organisations, ward councillors, school governing bodies, sporting structures and community forums to actively participate in the engagements.

“By thinking outside the box and combining the efforts, talents and skills of government with those of various stakeholders, I am confident that we can overcome the challenges facing our schools,” Maile said.

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By Thapelo Molefe

Schools across Gauteng are struggling to keep the lights on, maintain water supply and sustain basic services as education funding fails to keep pace with rising municipal tariffs, according to the DA.

The issue was highlighted during a media briefing by Gauteng MEC for Education Lebogang Maile on Sunday, where he acknowledged that some schools were facing severe financial pressure due to “misalignment” between increases in municipal tariffs and annual allocations provided to schools.

Maile said schools were dealing with rising electricity, water, and sanitation costs, while some were also affected by incorrect billing, estimated meter readings and inherited municipal debt.

ALSO READ: DA lays criminal complaint over CETA administrator’s R3m salary package

“The Constitutionally-enshrined right to basic education must remain non-negotiable, and the conditions that enable the success of this education must be maintained and protected,” Maile said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, DA Shadow MEC for Education Sergio Isa Dos Santos said the department’s admission confirmed the party’s longstanding warnings that inadequate funding allocations were negatively affecting schools.

According to Dos Santos, many schools are struggling to maintain computer labs, keep electricity connected, ensure access to water and sanitation, and address health and safety risks affecting learners and staff.

“It is unacceptable that it took the department so long to realise that expecting schools to absorb escalating electricity, water, sanitation and operational costs without adequate support was absurd at best and reckless at worst,” he said.

Maile revealed that Gauteng public schools owed municipalities nearly R584 million in debt older than 60 days as of March, with the City of Johannesburg accounting for the largest share at R390.7 million. Schools also owed Eskom R6.32 million.

The MEC said municipalities across Gauteng had increasingly been accused of overcharging schools through incorrect tariffs, estimated readings, unexplained levies and the transfer of historical debt onto school accounts.

ALSO READ: CETA slammed over administrator’s R3 million salary, governance failures

He also warned that service disruptions were directly affecting teaching and learning.

“Schools without electricity cannot operate computer labs, lighting, or administrative systems, while water cuts create sanitation and health risks for learners and staff,” Maile said.

The Gauteng Department of Education said it was now reviewing the decentralisation model, which shifted responsibility for municipal payments from the department to Section 21 schools and their School Governing Bodies.

Maile said the model was originally intended to improve financial autonomy, accountability and faster decision-making at school level, but acknowledged that it had also exposed weaknesses in financial management and governance.

The DA accused the provincial government of shifting responsibility onto schools without adequate funding, support or consultation.

Dos Santos said vulnerable schools, including those serving poorer communities, had been hardest hit, forcing School Governing Bodies to focus on avoiding municipal disconnections instead of prioritising teaching and learning.

The party also criticised the administration of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, saying government failures and poor planning were placing additional pressure on schools.

Meanwhile, the DA formally submitted a petition signed by more than 16,000 Gauteng residents to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, calling for the immediate reversal of what it described as devastating 64% budget cuts to Quintile 5 public schools.

DA Gauteng spokesperson for education Michael Waters said the petition was launched in January after the party visited schools across the province and found that reduced allocations were already affecting infrastructure maintenance, municipal payments, learner support programmes and extracurricular activities.

“School principals and governing bodies have also told us that the situation is becoming financially unsustainable, with schools overwhelmed by rising municipal costs as the Gauteng Department of Education continues to underfund schools and shift more responsibility onto parents and local communities,” Waters said.

The Gauteng Department of Education has disputed the DA’s characterisation of the Quintile 5 funding changes, saying earlier this year that the revised allocations were part of an interim funding realignment to national norms and standards, not a 64% budget cut.

ALSO READ: Gwarube: AI can’t replace basic learning

The department said at the time that it was managing a R444 million shortfall in the current financial year and a projected R160 million shortfall over the 2026 medium-term expenditure framework.

Waters described the petition as one of the largest ever handed over in Gauteng and said it reflected growing public frustration over education funding cuts.

“These cuts are not abstract numbers on a spreadsheet; they directly affect classrooms, learner safety, educational quality, and the future of children,” he said.

The DA has called for stronger cooperation between the Gauteng Department of Education, municipalities and other stakeholders to prevent schools from reaching crisis point.

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By Johnathan Paoli

The DA has opened a criminal case against Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) administrator Dithabe Oupa Nkoane over the alleged unlawful approval of his own R3 million annual salary package.

DA Deputy Spokesperson on Higher Education and Training and MP Karabo Khakhau said the party had laid charges against Nkoane on Tuesday, following allegations that he violated provisions of the Public Finance Management Act by allegedly approving a salary far above what the DA says had been prescribed by Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela.

“Nkoane was appointed by the Minister of Higher Education solely to fix what’s wrong with CETA. Instead, he brought more problems. The DA warned against his appointment and maintains that he was the wrong choice for appointment.

ALSO READ: DSAC calls for publishing hub panel members

“This scandal adds to a laundry list of reasons why SETAs must be scrapped. SETAs were designed as lucrative looting funds for ANC cadres instead of creating tangible skills development and job creation for the country’s youth,” Khakhau said.

The DA alleges that Nkoane unlawfully approved a R3 million annual package despite Manamela having prescribed a R500 000 salary package for the position at the time.

The controversy emerged during recent hearings before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, where members were told that Nkoane, appointed to stabilise the troubled SETA, had unilaterally determined and approved his own remuneration without authorisation from the department or the minister.

Parliament said CETA had approved the administrator’s proposal granting himself a provisional annual salary of R3 million, effective from 1 October 2025. Manamela later approved a reduced R2.5 million package in January 2026.

The committee further found that between October 2025 and March 2026, Nkoane was overpaid by R208 333. It said the payment constituted irregular expenditure because the Department of Higher Education and Training had not approved it at the time.

A repayment plan has since been implemented to recover the overpayment.

ALSO READ: CETA slammed over administrator’s R3 million salary, governance failures

The salary matter followed a briefing to the committee on protected disclosure allegations at CETA, including allegations of irregularities at the entity and concerns about governance and contract management.

During the committee proceedings, the department said Nkoane’s salary had been benchmarked against his most recent salary from a previous employer and the salary levels of SETA chief executives. It also said further guidance had been sought from National Treasury.

However, committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie criticised the process and questioned why remuneration had not been finalised before Nkoane assumed office.

Letsie raised concerns about dysfunction within SETAs, saying large sums were being spent on forensic investigations while the institutions continued failing in their mandate to provide skills development and support economic growth.

“Your core business is to skill and upskill the workforce of South Africa. In the context of the latest unemployment statistics, SETAs were created to help drive economic growth; this is not happening,” Letsie said.

CETA has rejected suggestions that the salary matter was handled irregularly, saying the allegations were “rather unfortunate and misinformed”.

“The Administrator’s salary issue was not handled in an irregular manner at all, but the best entity to address the issue is the Department of Higher Education,” CETA said.

It said some of the allegations were subject to investigations and legal processes, adding that Parliament had requested further clarity and that the authority would respond directly to Parliament.

The intervention at CETA followed four consecutive qualified audit outcomes and longstanding concerns about governance failures, procurement irregularities, weak oversight and instability within the authority.

Manamela appointed Nkoane as CETA administrator in August last year after consultation with the National Skills Authority. The department said at the time that the intervention followed serious and entrenched governance failures at several SETAs.

The DA criticised Nkoane’s appointment in August, when Khakhau accused Manamela of appointing politically connected individuals allegedly linked to corruption and maladministration.

At the time, the DA cited a forensic report implicating Nkoane, as former municipal manager at Emfuleni Local Municipality, in alleged mismanagement involving R872 million.

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By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) has invited applications from suitably qualified candidates to serve on the selection panel for the DSAC Publishing Hub.

The hub, run in partnership with the Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa (ANFASA), is an industry stimulus project aimed at supporting authors and strengthening the country’s books and publishing sector.

According to the department, the initiative is intended to support new writing, preserve South Africa’s heritage and promote literature in previously marginalised official languages.

“We encourage the creation of new literature in telling our stories and preserving our heritage, and sustain the creation of significant literature including that written in the previously marginalised official languages,” the department said.

The Publishing Hub was launched in July 2023. ANFASA said the project had produced 57 works to date, consisting of 43 physical books, eight audiobooks and six books converted to braille.

“Notably, four Khoi and San books written in Khwedam, !Xuhnthali, and Nama were published to further emphasising the importance of linguistic and cultural preservation,” the association said.

“Through literature, we can further commemorate this milestone and continue to shape narratives that reflect the spirit of our nation.”

The department said selection panel members must have strong knowledge, experience and expertise in the book value chain. Candidates should also be language experts, have a solid understanding of the book industry and be published authors.

Panel members will be responsible for reviewing manuscripts, making recommendations, working with successful authors on developmental editing, and advising on industry issues including intellectual property, contracts and royalties.

Interested candidates should visit www.anfasa.org.za/dsac-selection-panel-application/ and fill in their details as well as attach the required documentation.

“Late submissions will not be considered. Selection panel members shall not be eligible to submit their manuscripts for review,” the department said.

Applications close at midnight on 12 June 2026.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training has criticised the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) over governance failures, irregular expenditure, and the approval of a R3 million salary package for its administrator without authorisation from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) or the minister.

The committee received a briefing from CETA on protected disclosure allegations relating to irregularities at the entity, including the extension of a Vodacom internet and intranet services contract beyond its expiry date.

ALSO READ: Gwarube: AI can’t replace basic learning

The allegations were initially raised by suspended Chief Financial Officer Saneler Radebe in a disclosure to the National Treasury. According to Radebe, CETA’s 2021 contract with Vodacom for internet and intranet services was flagged by the Auditor-General and later subjected to investigation. 

He alleged that the contract was extended beyond its April 2024 expiry date based on unverified claims that Vodacom owed CETA service credits, despite repeated requests from finance officials for supporting documentation.

Committee chairperson Tebogo Letsie criticised CETA administrator Oupa Nkoane for unilaterally approving his own salary package of R3 million without obtaining approval from either the department or the minister.

Members of the committee questioned the lack of clear regulations governing salaries paid to administrators and advisors appointed to stabilise struggling entities. They also requested that DHET explain the rationale behind the more annual remuneration package awarded to Nkoane.

The committee noted that while CETA was under administration, the entity approved a proposal granting the administrator a provisional annual salary of R3 million with effect from 1 October 2025. In January 2026, the minister later approved a reduced remuneration package of R2.5 million.

ALSO READ: Amajimbos lose to Algeria, despite win over reigning champs Senegal

Parliament heard that between October 2025 and March 2026, the administrator was overpaid by R208 333. A repayment plan has since been implemented to recover the funds over the remainder of his term.

Committee members said the payments made before ministerial approval constituted irregular expenditure. However, they also blamed the DHET for contributing to the situation through delays in responding to correspondence regarding the salary adjustment.

According to the department, the administrator’s remuneration was benchmarked against both the salary earned by the incumbent in his previous employment and the remuneration levels of SETA chief executive officers. DHET further indicated that guidance on the matter had been sought from the National Treasury.

The committee further questioned CETA’s management of ICT contracts, particularly the continuation of the Vodacom agreement after its expiry date. 

Members also expressed concern over delays in implementing recommendations contained in the R18.9 million Duja forensic report, saying the failure to act had allowed implicated officials to remain in, or be reappointed to, positions within DHET entities.

The committee also learned that one of the administrator’s advisors, Lethabo Mamabolo, travelled to Cape Town on 21 November 2025 to participate in a cycling event using CETA resources.

Letsie said the department continued to spend significant amounts on forensic investigations without ensuring that findings led to accountability.

“Your core business is to skill and upskill the workforce of South Africa. In the context of the latest unemployment statistics, SETAs were created to help drive economic growth; this is not happening,” he said.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube has called for stronger education systems across Africa, saying technology and artificial intelligence cannot replace basic literacy and numeracy skills.

Speaking at the Education World Forum 2026 in London, Gwarube highlighted South Africa’s efforts to strengthen foundational learning and expand Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes.

“South Africa is investing R10 billion over three years to expand Early Childhood Development, and a further R496 million to create 115 000 ECD spaces in three of our most rural provinces of Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. These investments signify our commitment to children whose futures should not be determined by the circumstances of their birth,” she said.

“As a country we can be proud of the strategic shift we have made towards strengthening the foundations of learning.”

The R496 million allocation is linked to an outcomes-based early childhood development fund aimed at expanding access to early learning in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

The Education World Forum is being held in London from 17 to 20 May under the theme “Educating for a Shared Future: Peace, Planet, Purpose and Pathways”. The forum brings together education ministers, policymakers and education sector leaders to discuss the future of global education systems.

Gwarube said South Africa had made a strategic shift towards prioritising foundational learning for the country’s 13.7 million learners.

“Strong futures require strong foundations,” she said.

She said the issue was particularly important for Africa, which has the youngest population in the world, making education critical to turning demographic growth into economic opportunity.

“If Africa is to rise, Africa’s children must rise first,” she said.

Referring to South Africa’s literacy crisis, Gwarube said about eight in 10 children could not read for meaning by the age of 10.

She described this as more than a literacy challenge, calling it a “future-readiness crisis” that affected learners’ ability to succeed in gateway subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Technology.

“When a child cannot read for meaning, every subject becomes difficult and opportunities become limited,” she said.

While many countries were discussing artificial intelligence, automation and the future digital economy, Gwarube said governments had to recognise that meaningful innovation could not happen without strong educational foundations.

“No country can build a high-tech economy on weak educational foundations,” she said.

“No country can leapfrog literacy, and no country can automate its way around numeracy.”

Gwarube said the future economy would require children who could think critically, solve problems, adapt and create, rather than learners who only knew how to operate technology.

She posed what she described as an urgent question for learners facing the future: “Will I be able to read well enough to participate in that future at all?”

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By Levy Masiteng 

Nearly 9 000 learners across South Africa will receive essential stationery packs after R1 million was raised through the Checkers Act For Change Back-to-School project in partnership with non-profit organisation Meals on Wheels.

The organisation announced on Monday that the fundraising initiative will help provide learners with school supplies, especially in low-income schools.

This includes pens, exercise books, calculators and other classroom essentials.

Meals on Wheels said it is working closely with schools and communities nationwide to ensure the stationery reaches learners and schools most in need.

“We see first-hand the challenges families face every day. Through our network, we’re able to help ensure these supplies reach learners in communities that are often overlooked,” said Gershon Naidoo, the national programmes and marketing director of Meals on Wheels.

The campaign was launched at the start of this year’s academic calendar.

According to the organisation, funds were raised through the sale of a limited-edition Act For Change exam pad, sold in Checkers stores and on the Checkers Sixty60 app, with R2 from every purchase going directly towards the stationery fund. 

Customers also contributed by donating R5 at till points in stores nationwide.

Several leading stationery brands supported the initiative by contributing a portion of proceeds from selected products. 

These included Pritt, Bostik, Henkel, Staedtler, Penflex, Bic, Butterfly, Casio, KV Art, Freedom Stationery, Bidvest, Palm Stationery, CTP Stationery, Sappi and Plastafrica.

Naidoo said access to basic school supplies can significantly improve a learner’s ability to participate confidently in class and focus on their education.

He said the overwhelming support for the campaign demonstrated how small contributions can collectively create meaningful change.

“Ensuring learners have the basic tools they need allows them to focus on learning and engage more fully in the classroom,” chief sustainability officer at the Shoprite Group, Sanjeev Raghubir said. 

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