Engakaligwinyi uNzimande, isiqalile imibhikisho ngoNSFAS
Emasontweni amabili edlule uNgqongqoshe Wemfundo Ephakeme, iSayensi Nokuqeqesha uDkt uBlade Nzimande ngokuhlanganyela noSihlalo Webhodi leNational Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) wazibophezela ekutheni, kulo nyaka bazokwenza ngakhona ukugwema izinxushunxushu ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.
Ngaphansi kwesimo esejwayelekile, umsindo emanyuvesi usuke udalwa ukungeneliseki kwabafundi ngohlelo lokuxhaswa ngemali kwaNSFAS abathi lukhetha ephela emasini. Enkulumweni yakhe uNzimande wathi,
“Onyakeni Wezimali we-2023, ibhajethi yalesi sikhwama ifinyelele kuma-R47,6 billion, okusho ukuxhaswa kwabafundi abangama-900 000 ezweni lonke. Izwe kumele libone ukuthi libheke enkulungwaneni, mungekudala kusuka manje, sizokwenyuka kakhulu isibalo sezitshudeni ezixhaswa uNSFAS.” Ler nkulumo yabuyisa ithemba kubafundi, abanye osekuphele iminyaka bengomantunta nendishi ngenxa yokungalutholi uxhaso. Engakaligwinyi uNgqongqoshe, kuleli sonto iqalile imibhikisho emanyuvesi athile ngabafundi abangenelisekile ngoNSFAS.
Ngosuku lokuqala lokufunda eNyuvesi yaseCape Town Uphiko Olumele Abafundi lumemezele ukuthi ukumiswa thaqa kwazo zonke izinhlelo ngaphambi kokuxazululwa udaba lwabafundi abakweletayo okumele bakhekhelwe uNSFAS.
UNgqongqoshe uNzimande wayeveze ukuthi benze izinhlelo namaNyuvesi ukuba bavunyelwe ukubhalisa bonke abafundi asebehlonzwe njengabazoxhaswa ngaphansi kwalesi sikhwama.
UMengameli Wophiko Olumele Abafundi kule Nyuvesi uNks uHlengiwe Dube ephawula ngokuqhubekayo uthe isikhwama sokuxhasa abafundi iNSFAS sesiphenduke isilingo kubona, ngoba njalo ngokuqala konyaka kumele kukhulunywe into eyodwa.
“Inkinga ngoNSFAS ibhekene nazo zonke izikhungo zemfundo ephekeme ezweni. Kukhona izifundo okusanda kumenyezelwa ukuthi angeke zisangena ngaphansi kohlelo lakwaNSFAS, okungenye yezinto esizidalele izinkinga,” kuchaza uNks uDube.
ElaboHlanga lihoshe ngemithombo yalo ethembekile ukuthi nasemaNyuvesi aKwaZulu-Natal amabili eThekwini kungase kusuke lokho ngesonto elizayo uma kungukuthi namuhla akucaci ngabafundi abangavunyelwa ukubhalisa ngoba kuthiwa bayakweleta.
Ukungacaci ngalolu hlelo lokwelekelela abafundi sekuholele ekutheni abafundi abazibiza nge”Youthful Hope” besabise ngokuthi bazongenela umbhikisho kazwelonke kuzona zonke izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme befuna izimpendulo ngokusebenza kukaNSFAS. Abafundi benze uhlu lwezikhalo, kuze kube yimanje bangama-25 000 abasayinile. Laba bafundi bathi bashiywe ngaphandle ngezizathu abangazazi kulolu hlelo.
Ngaphansi kohlu lwezikhalo abazibekile baveza ukuthi:”Ngesikhathi abafundi abaqala iqhuze labo lemfundo ngonyaka we-2018 bebhalisa ngaphansi kwalolu hlelo, bathola imiyalezo eyayithi “izicelo zabo aziphumelelanga zokuxhaswa aziphumelelanga ngenxa yokuthi sekudlule iminyaka emibili yezifundo zabo,” noma bona bekuveza ukuthi ayikapheli iminyaka emibili.