Tebogo Msimanga |
The GOOD party says it is concerned about the growing number of reports regarding the payment failures of financial support by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Last week, NSFAS was grilled in Parliament over the roll-out of its new direct-payment system, which has caused an uproar at campuses across the county. Many SASSA recipients were left stranded when they couldn’t access funds.
GOOD Secretary-General Brett Herron said South Africa is experiencing extreme poverty with many South Africans having limited to no access to income and relying heavily on social grants or financial aid.
“By failing to distribute state funds, we are failing the most vulnerable.The system has seen numerous payment delays and is believed to have erroneously defunded thousands of students”.
Herron added that 31,890 students still await their outcome as their appeals are “in progress” and 44,561 are required to submit more information.
NSFAS acting CEO, Masile Ramorwesi has defended the failure of this system by saying “Any new system in its year of first implementation experiences challenges”.
Herron added that it is not just our students that are struggling to make ends meet. Over 18 million social grants are paid monthly.
“Failing to provide a reliable service is a massive failure by both institutions and the state. They should be ashamed”.
