Lerato Mbhiza
The EFF Student Command (EFFSC) President Sihle Lonzi has threatened to open a fraud and corruption case against NSFAS and called for people who were involved in the stealing of the money to be arrested.
“We want to see all those involved in this to be arrested not only to be removed in position but to put on Orange overall.”
Lonzi was speaking at EFF’s Winnie Madikizela Mandela’s House on Thursday a day after Nsfas fired its CEO Andile Nongogo, fingered by the SIU for fraud and irregularities in the awarding of R47 billion contracts to direct payment service providers.
He questions the NSFAS board’s decision in allowing those accused of malfeasance to explain themselves instead of taking action against them for theft.
He also questioned why the contracts of the implicated service providers were not terminated with immediate effect.
“Why are the contracts being terminated in the future and not now?”
Lonzi said the EFF is happy the students’ demonstrations have paid off and the contracts of the service providers have been terminated, while pointing out that the EFFSC has won 16 university SRC leadership positions.
“This shows that we have a majority, and sends a strong message to the ANC that we will remove you from the union building in next year’s general elections.”
Nongogo was fired and the four contractors he appointed to disburse student funding are being terminated after a report by legal firm Werkmans Attorneys and advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobi, found that not only did he play a role in handpicking the companies, but he had direct links with some of the companies from his previous job as CEO of the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services Seta).
The report also found that Nongogo appointed Dr George Chirwa, who has links with eZaga Holdings and its subsidiary eZaga Remit; Africawide Consulting, and Africawide Foundation as technical advisor.
eZaga and Tenet Technology have denied the allegations made against them, claiming to not have received the full report in which these were made.
INSIDE EDUCATION
