EFF MP Sihle Lonzi has written to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Higher Education spokesperson Tebogo Letsie to allow the committee to get involved in probing whether NSFAS administrator Prof Hlengani Mathebula was spending public funds without approval by finance minister Enoch Godongwana as stipulated in law.
The EFF letter comes after Sunday World broke the story at the weekend that Mathebula had hired advisors and spent R200K on accommodation and travel allowances without the approval of Godongwana as required by the NSFAS Act.
Lonzi has called on lawmakers to sink their teeth into the saga to determine if any wrongdoing was happening in the spending of public funds by Mathebula since taking over NSFAS following the disbandment of the board.
‘Clarity must be sought from Godongwana’
As a starting point, Lonzi requested Letsie write to Godongwana to seek clarification on whether or not he had approved spending by Mathebula as required by the Act.
The minister of higher education, Buti Manamela, through spokesperson Matshepo Seedat, has confirmed that Godongwana was yet to approve as per their response in the story by this publication at the weekend.
Lonzi wants Parliament to be officially involved through the portfolio committee.
“To enable the committee to effectively discharge its oversight responsibilities, we respectfully request that it write to the minister of finance requesting confirmation of whether the minister granted the approval contemplated in section 17C of the
NSFAS Act in respect of the remuneration and allowances of the current NSFAS administrator and four (4) advisors,” reads Lonzi’s letter to Letsie.
“If such approval was granted, the date on which it was granted together with copies of the written approvals and any supporting documentation (copies of the written approval issued by the minister of finance; the determination made by the minister of higher education in terms of section 17C of the NSFAS Act, and any supporting documentation relating to the determination and approval).
“A complete itemised breakdown of all remuneration, allowances, and benefits paid or provided to the NSFAS administrator and each of the four (4) advisors since the commencement of their appointments, including, but not limited to: remuneration, air travel and other transport costs, accommodation costs, vehicle hire, subsistence and daily allowances, and any other benefits or expenses incurred for or on behalf of the administrator.”
MKP enters the fray
The MKP has also jumped into the fray, expressing concern that Mathebula was a big spender without approval barely two months into the interim post.
“Within two months of his appointment, the professor’s (Mathebula) conduct raises more questions than answers. An administrator who is tasked with the important task of stabilizing and restoring the student financial scheme unsurprisingly finds himself at the center of serious allegations,” said MKP national spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu.
“Adding insult to injury, these allegations of excessive expenditure come at a time when students are being defunded and evicted from student residences in the middle of the academic year.”
The MKP said the latest developments around Mathebula were a chilling reminder about why it was ill-advised for Manamela to place NSFAS under administration in the first place.
“We maintained that administration is meaningless unless it addresses the root causes crippling public institutions. Mathebula’s alleged conduct leaves much to be desired and affirms our concerns and suggests that governance at the scheme is unlikely to improve under his leadership.”
The gwaza bridage said it would write to Manamela and Mathebula to explain themselves on the unapproved expenditure.
- EFF MP Sihle Lonzi has requested Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee to investigate NSFAS administrator Prof. Hlengani Mathebula’s unapproved spending of public funds, including R200K on advisers' accommodation and travel, without finance minister Enoch Godongwana’s approval as required by law.
- Lonzi seeks official confirmation from finance minister Godongwana on whether he had approved the expenditures and requests detailed documentation of all payments made to Mathebula and his advisers since their appointments.
- Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela’s spokesperson confirmed Godongwana had not yet approved the spending in question.
- The MKP has criticized Mathebula’s alleged unauthorised spending, highlighting concerns about governance at NSFAS and the negative impact on students facing defunding and eviction during the academic year.
- MKP and EFF plan to demand accountability from Manamela and Mathebula, insisting that placing NSFAS under administration without addressing foundational issues has not resolved governance problems.
