Johnathan Paoli
THE Universities South Africa (Usaf) – a membership organisation representing the country’s public universities – has requested an investigation of Nsfas staff members to determine possible involvement in the awarding of contracts for the direct payment system.
Usaf CEO Phethiwe Matutu said the Usaf Board was watching with interest, the outcome of the processes concerning Nsfas CEO Andile Nongogo and the disciplinary enquiry pertaining to staff involved in wrongdoing.
The funding scheme board on Tuesday confirmed Nongogo’s immediate dismissal, following his submissions regarding his conduct.
Calls for the probe into staff collusion in awarding of the tender comes after the scrapping of the controversial eZaga payment system, together with Coinvest, Tenet Technologies and Norraco Corporation, by the Nsfas board last week.
The board found a conflict of interest in the appointment of some of the services providers who received the funding scheme’s direct payment system tender.
Last week the Nsfas board briefed the media in Pretoria on the system and allegations made against Nongogo.
Nongogo was placed on a leave of absence earlier this year, following the Nsfas board’s investigation into the allegations made against him, with board chairperson Ernest Khosa confirming that Nongogo actively participated in the presentations to the bidding committee.
In addition to Nongogo’s investigation and a probe into possible employee involvement, Matutu said that Nsfas supply chain management also needed to be reviewed.
Matutu said the membership organisation was supportive of the decision taken by the Nsfas board to look at the issues and to accept the recommendations of the report, which was investigating these four service providers.
“We categorically equate the success of Nsfas to the success of the entire post-school education and training sector, given the reported wide reach of the scheme to 1,1 million students in 2023. It is therefore imperative that NSFAS restores the administration of student processes to normality,” Matutu concluded.
Tenet Technologies has expressed its intention at possible legal action against the state, with CEO Ryan Passmore saying that they had not been informed of any damning allegations or cancellation by the scheme board.
“We are not aware of any damning findings, and neither have we been accused of any wrongdoing. We are not aware of anything other than the media reports of a cancellation. We will, however, challenge any cancellation that is unlawful and without cause,” Passmore said.
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