The Pretoria High Court has found that higher education minister Buti Manamela’s decision to appoint Professor Hlengani Mathebula as administrator at NSFAS is irrational.
Consequently, the court ordered that Mathebula is interdicted from continuing as NSFAS administrator and instructed that the dissolved board members should go back to work without delay after they approached the court seeking to review Manamela’s decision to send them packing in favour of Mathebula.
“The appointment of the second respondent as administrator (Mathebula) of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in terms of section 17A(1)(b) of Act 56 of 1999 (the “Act”) by the first respondent on 4 May 2026 is suspended pending finalisation of Part B,” reads the judgment.
“The applicants (dissolved NSFAS board members) are authorised and directed to continue in the management, governance and administration of the NSFAS and to perform any functions of the NSFAS pending the final determination of Part B of this application.”
Part B involves the reviewing and the setting aside of the decision of the minister.
- This is a breaking story and will be updated with further information and responses from involved parties.
- The Pretoria High Court ruled that Minister Buti Manamela's appointment of Professor Hlengani Mathebula as NSFAS administrator is irrational.
- The court ordered Mathebula to be interdicted from continuing as NSFAS administrator.
- Dissolved NSFAS board members were instructed to resume their duties without delay.
- The court suspended Mathebula's appointment pending the finalisation of a review process termed Part B.
- Part B of the court process involves reviewing and potentially setting aside the minister's decision to appoint Mathebula.
