Ngabe kuphume iqhina embizeni ngoNsfas
Isisho sesiZulu esithi ayinuki ingosiwe singacishe singene khaxa ezinxushunxhushwini ezithinta inkohlakalo ezibikwa esikhwameni esixhasa abafundi ngemali ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ezweni iNational Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas). Cishe engxenyeni enkulu yokuphela konyaka odlule kuze kube isonto lokuqala lonyaka ophezulu we-2024 ibe nkulu imvunge ngokuthi ukubhimba kohlelo ekuxhasweni kwabafundi kunomthelela omkhulu wenkohlakalo nokugxambukela kwezepolitiki.
Izinhlangano zabafundi bezide zikufakazela ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi ngendlela okwabiwa ngayo uxhaso, futhi izinto sezishintshe kakhulu endleleni obekwenzeka ngayo phambilini. Ngakolunye uhlangothi iziphathimandla kuNsfas bezivikela iso lazo zimi kwelokuthi okudala ukuhamba kancane kohlelo lokuxhaswa kwabafundi inkohlakalo edla lubi ngasohlangothini lwabo nezinyunyana zabafundi emanyuvesi. Esitatimendeni esakhishwa iNsfas ngoNtulikazi wangonyaka odlule, uSihlalo walesi sikhwama uMnu u-Ernest Khoza wathi ophenyweni lwabo bathole ukuthi kuningi okwenziwa ngabafundi okuphambene nomthetho ezicelweni zabo.
Phakathi kokunye wabalula ukugcwalisa amafomu ngemininingwane engamanga njengeholo labazali nesimo senhlalo yasemakhaya. Abafundi babemi kwelokuthi lezi izaba nje zokufihla inkohlakalo edla lubi kulesi sikhwama. Enkohlakalweni ebikwa kulesi sikhwama kulokhu iminwe ikhomba uNgqongqoshe Wezemfundo Ephakeme Nokuqeqesha uDkt uBlade Nzimande. Inhlangano yomphakathi elwa nenkohlakalo i-Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) ikhiphe umbiko ongamakhasi angama-51 ngesonto eledlule oqukethe izinkulumo eziqoshiwe emihlanganweni emibili eyabe iphakathi kukaSihlalo weNsfas uMnu uKhoza nenkampani esebenzisana nalesi sikhwama. Ngokwalo mbiko kulezi zinkulumo kuvela ukuthi uNzimande, uKhoza neSouth African Communist Party (SACP), kukhona intshontsho abalithola ngokuvikela izinkampani ezinikwe umsebenzi wokusebenzisana neNsfas. Kuleli sonto izinhlangano zezepolitiki ezimi ngakubafundi njenge-Action SA neDemocratic Alliance (DA) zinikele emaphoyiseni ziyovulela uNzimande icala lenkohlakalo. UNzimande uphika uma ngentaba. “Ngifisa ukwazisa abantu baseNingizimu Afrika ukuthi angikaze ngithole intshontsho noma umnyango wami okanye amaKhomanisi.” Lesi simo sesikuveze ngokusobala ukuthi nakulokhu izikhungo zemfundo ephakeme zizovulwa ngemibhikisho okuzoholela ekuphazamisekeni kwezinhlelo zokubhalisa
Unyaka ophezulu uthe uqala zabe sezialile ukuzwakala izikhalo zaminyaka yonke kubafundi ngokungalazi ikusasa labo ngenxa yengcindezi abayithola kwaNsfas. Kuqala unyaka owedlule we-2023 isikweletu sabafundi ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme sasili-R16.5 wezigidigidi. Umatikuletsheni wangonyaka we-2022 wenza kahle uma kuqhathaniswa neminyaka eyayandulela ngenxa yoKhuvethe, kepha namanje kusekhona abafundi abaphasa ngalowo nyaka abasaduve emakhaya ngoba bengalutholi uxhaso , abanye bashiye phakathi emanyuvesi.Naphezu kwezinkulo zaminyaka yonke zokuqala unyaka zokuthi zonke izinhlelo zokulekelela abafundi zizoshintsha, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi konke lokhu kuphelela emoyeni. Kuqala unyaka odlule uNgqongqoshe uNzimande wamemezela ukuthi bonke abafundi abahlonzwe njengababazoluthola uxhaso lakwaNsfas bazovunyelwa ukuba babhalise ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme ngaphandle kokuphoqwa ukuba bakhokhe imali yokubhalisa. Waveza nokuthi uhulumeni umatasa ukupothula uhlelo oluzohlanganisa bonke abafundi ngoxhaso lapho bezobheka ukuthi umfundi ngamunye uludinga kanjani usizo nokuthi izifundo uziqhuba kusiphi isigaba sezikhungo. Wabe esexwayisa labo bafundi abathola uxhaso ngokungemthetho ukuthi bazobathathela izinyathelo zomthetho nokungasho ukubavulela amacala obugebengu. Ngokusho kwenhlangano yabafundi edlelelana ne-ANC iSouth African Student Congress (Sasco) uzwelonke, akukho nokukodwa okwakhulunywa nguNzimande okwenzekile ngonyaka odlule.
ElaboHlanga komunye wemibiko walo lakhuluma noSthembiso Mkhize waseShowe owayefunda eMgababa owaphasa umatikuletsheni ngowezi-2020. UMkhize wathi angeke kwamthusa uma zizothi zisuka nje kuvumvuke iziteleka ngoba baningi abafundi abazimisele ngokuqhuba izifundo zabo kwazise namatoho ayagqoza ngaphandle. Wathi wayesekwenze konke okwakudingeka mayelana nesicelo sakhe esethenjisiwe ukuthi uzoluthola uxhaso kwaphetha ngokuba nhlanga zimuka nomoya. “Abazali nomphakathi bayasijabulela uma siphumelele ebangeni leshumi kepha kithina sisuke sazi ukuthi yilapho kuqala khona indlela enzima yokuthola uxhaso. Njalo ngonyaka kuba nesibalo esithile sabafundi abayokwengeza kulaba abasuke behleli emakhaya ngenxa yokungalutholi uxhaso, kugcine sekuhlomula iningi lezingane eziphuma emizini engcono.” Kubafundi abangama-922, 034 abebebebhalisele umatikuletsheni ngonyaka we-2022, bangama 278, 815 abathola imiphumela ebagunyaza ukuqhuba izifundo zabo emanyuvesi, abangama-197,357 baphasa ngama-Diploma. Isifundazwe iKwaZulu-Natal neGauteng yizo ezathola isibalo esikhulu sabafundi abaphasa ngamaBachelor.