The University of Limpopo and its student representative council (SRC) have dished out food hampers to 2,000 students, including many who were not paid their allowances at the end of September by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
This comes as the financial aid scheme failed to pay students countrywide their November allowances that were due on Tuesday.
On Wednesday afternoon the four direct payment providers contracted to disburse allowances, eZaga, Tenet Technologies, Norraco Corporation and Coinvest Africa were scrambling to pay students after they received their payment files and funds from NSFAS after 2pm.
Last month the preliminary findings of a probe by law firm Werksmans and advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi into the direct payment contracts, recommended that they be “cancelled on notice” owing to irregularities in the appointment of the service providers.
However, Ryan Passmore, CEO of Tenet Technologies, confirmed to TimesLIVE Premium that they were still paying students and that the company had not been officially informed that their contract had been cancelled.
The University of Limpopo’s SRC president, Khutso Mamabolo, said they engaged the institution’s student governance section and the vice-chancellor, Prof Mahlo Mokgalong, to assist students who had not received their allowances.
On Wednesday, the SRC started handing out food hampers to students.
Victor Kgomoeswana, executive director of marketing and communication, said the university has a significant proportion of students who rely on NSFAS for tuition fees and a living allowance.
“We acknowledge the challenges and the impact that arise when these allowances are delayed, particularly during exam periods. The university addresses this issue by implementing programmes such as the distribution of food parcels.”
He said that during exams, identified needy students have access to breakfast and lunch at the student chambers.
“Our primary aim is to ensure that students can focus solely on their exam preparations without the added worry of basic needs like food. Studying on an empty stomach not only causes physical hunger but can also contribute to emotional strain.”
eZaga, which is responsible for the payment of student allowances at the university, confirmed in a statement to TimesLIVE Premium that “there was a decrease in the quantity of students being paid between September and October.
“eZaga contacted NSFAS requesting information and an explanation as to why so many students were not on the list to be paid. NSFAS said an explanation has been provided to the institution and that if students had queries, they should contact the financial aid office directly.”
eZaga said its service was to disburse the funds that NSFAS allocates to students, adding: “Ultimately, NSFAS would need to provide answers regarding why certain students were not paid.”
Commenting on NSFAS’s failure to pay students their November allowances on time, a former student leader at Stellenbosch University, William Sezoe, said it was ridiculous that students find themselves in the same situation they were in at the end of August when the payment of allowances were delayed.
“It’s disheartening to think that as we approach our final exams, we are yet again left wondering whether we will get our allowances and who exactly will be distributing it.
“No wonder the pass rate of NSFAS beneficiaries is so low; it’s because the bursary scheme has no sense of regard nor support for the wellbeing of students.”
In a post on social media, Sphamandla Mdamba, said he wrote his final exam paper on Wednesday hungry “because NSFAS didn’t pay us our allowance”.
Another student, BL Mbatha, wrote that he was also trying to study on “an empty stomach”.
NSFAS did not respond to media queries from TimesLIVE Premium.
NSFAS said in a statement on Tuesday that a system upgrade “caused delays in disbursing funds to universities”.
“However, NSFAS is still on track to disburse allowances to students on November 1. It has taken numerous measures to streamline its disbursement processes and improve the efficiency of fund transfers.”
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