By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela cancelled a critical parliamentary briefing following his decision to place the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) under administration.
Manamela said the move was taken in terms of sections 17A to 17D of the NSFAS Act, 1999, after “careful consideration of the legal, governance, financial and operational circumstances” affecting the institution.
The Minister outlined a series of events that led to the intervention, including concerns about the legality of the NSFAS Board’s constitution, which prompted the department to approach the courts through self-review proceedings.
However, Manamela wrote to the chairperson of the Committee, Tebogo Letsie, on 15 May 2026, seeking an extension.
“I kindly request the Committee’s indulgence to allow me additional time to finalise and quality-assure the presentation that will serve before the Committee,” said Manamela.
The Committee should also note that the matter of the Administrator is now before the courts under Case 2026/107602 at Pretoria High Court. The former board members have lodged this case to challenge the appointment of the Administrator. In this instance, I need further counsel on this matter. As such, more time is required to prepare the presentation,” said Manamela.
Letsie wrote to MPs of the committee on the evening of Monday 18 May, saying: “We arrived at a determination that it will be pointless to continue with the meeting tomorrow without presentation.”
His response was met with with anger, with DA spokesperson on Higher Education and Training Dr Delmaine Christians criticising the delay, arguing that Parliament could not be sidelined in exercising oversight over a multibillion-rand public entity.
Christians noted that placing NSFAS under administration had “quickly escalated into court action and administrative chaos, making parliamentary oversight more vital than ever”.
The DA wants NSFAS to be replaced with a new decentralised student funding model, where accredited and competent higher education institutions administer their own funding, removing failing intermediaries and reducing governance, procurement and payment failures.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Sihle Lonzi similarly condemned the situation, calling for Parliament’s immediate, urgent intervention to ensure that the executive and NSFAS leadership are held accountable to the public and to students who depend on the scheme.
“Parliamentary processes are, yet again, being manipulated to shield the Executive from scrutiny whenever accountability becomes politically inconvenient.”
“The authority, credibility, and constitutional standing of Parliament depend on the consistent application of its rules, irrespective of political convenience or executive discomfort,” He said.
Adding to the uncertainty, NSFAS administrator Professor Hlengani Mathebula raised formal objections regarding the participation of former board members in the parliamentary meeting.
He argued that the dissolved board’s involvement posed governance and financial complications.
Mathebula currently serves as Director and Head of the Tshwane School for Business and Society at the Tshwane University of Technology and has held professorial and Senate leadership responsibilities within the university sector.
He has also served in executive and governance positions at the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and on the boards of several public and private entities.