The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has not submitted the findings of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the controversial Free State Motheo TVET College.
An intensive SIU investigation of Motheo found that the institution was withholding NSFAS bursary funds that had not been used. The scheme forwards bursaries to the institution of the student’s choice when funding is approved. On occasion, however, the student fails to register because they have been admitted to more than one institution, or opted for a gap year.
The funds are, therefore, supposed to be returned to NSFAS as unallocated.
The SIU uncovered the missing funds going back to 2017 at Motheo, amounting to more than R38,6-million. The college acknowledged this debt in 2022 but still failed to pay back the money.
The SIU told Sunday World last month that with interest, the debt had ballooned to R44-million last month.
When asked why there had been no consequences for the principal, Dipeloane Phutsisi, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) pointed fingers at NSFAS.
“The investigation by the SIU is driven by NSFAS as part of the ‘close-out report’. As such, the investigation reports done by the SIU in all our institutions (universities and TVET colleges) are then presented to NSFAS. To date, NSFAS has not forwarded such a report to the department as yet.
“The department will only be able to take necessary steps once the report has been presented to the DHET,”
said DHET spokesperson Camagwini Mavovana.
Free State EFF Youth Command coordinator Thato Mokatsane said Motheo had collapsed into a financial and ethical quagmire under Phutsisi’s leadership.
“There have been many challenges emanating from chaos and mismanagement of funds at Motheo TVET College under the leadership of Ms Phutsisi. She and her executive management have failed to put the interests of the students at the college first.
She has proven that she does not know what she is doing. We urge the department to place Ms Phutsisi and her cabal on suspension until investigations into financial mismanagement and failure to account are fully investigated. We cannot be held to ransom by someone who believes that she is untouchable while messing up Motheo with her directionless leadership.”
NSFAS and Phutsisi had not responded to Sunday World enquiries at the time of publishing.
