By Johnathan Paoli
Parliament’s debate on the Higher Education and Training budget debate erupted into a spirited and combative session on Thursday, as political parties traded sharp critiques and passionate defences over Minister Nobuhle Nkabane’s R142.4 billion allocation for the 2025/26 financial year.
While the ANC and its allies framed the budget as a tool for transformation and inclusion, opposition parties from across the political spectrum lambasted the department’s leadership, dysfunction in the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and persistent exclusion of underprivileged students.
ANC MP and Higher Education Portfolio Committee Chairperson Tebogo Letsie endorsed the budget, calling it a “powerful instrument for social transformation” and grounding it in the legacy of the Freedom Charter.
He praised growth in enrolment figures, including a projected 56,100 new university students and plans to fund 300,000 TVET students over five years.
Letsie acknowledged funding delays and the defunding of some students, but insisted
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