By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the corruption allegations at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) should be investigated by the authorities.
Ramaphosa addressed a Youth Engagement Session with with ANCYL leader Collen Malatji at the Communion Church in Mbombela on Thursday, ahead of the party’s 112th birthday celebration on Saturday.
His remarks come amid corruption allegations by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) against Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, SACP and NSFAS board chairperson Ernest Khosa.
Outa accused the minister and Khosa of receiving kickbacks from companies doing business with the Nsfas.
On Thursday, the scheme confirmed that Khosa has decided to take a leave of absence from work while an independent law firm is probing the allegations.
“Nsfas encountered a number of challenges that are being addressed, and various allegations are a matter of concern and are being looked at,” the president said.
“There shall be processes, moving forward in every aspect of government, we are going to heighten accountability.”
Ramaphosa has also vowed to come up with interventions to help unemployed graduates.
He said the private sector together with government will have to come up with interventions to address the growing unemployment amongst the youth.
Ramaphosa added, “We are going to address this challenge that where we have educated our young people and where they become graduates, we should come up with interventions and a program that would say no graduate must go unemployed. But obviously that is dependent on our fiscal position and is also dependent on the types of collaboration and the private sector and so forth”.
Malatji called on Ramaphosa to fast-track job creation for young people, and said former ANC members who started their own parties were using the issue to lure voters.
“We know after we have resolved these issues, these mickey mouse organisations led by criminals will not have voters because people will know it’s only the ANC that will resolve their problems, “said Malatji.
Everyone who’s a criminal and kicked out of the ANC, when they’re bored with their wives, children and families, the first thing they think of is to form a political party, go to parliament and reverse the gains of freedom.
Our people will no longer be used by opportunists who take advantage of the issues in our country. Even those who hate the people of South Africa now claim to have the solutions of our country.
Malatji also called on Ramaphosa to fire government officials who are not doing their job, saying South Africa’s youth was available and ready to serve.
Ramaphosa also traded his suit and tie for a white golf shirt to spend the day playing golf with businesspeople at the ANC’s Progressive Business Forum Presidential Golf Day in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
It cost R500,000 to tee off with Ramaphosa. This is part of the ANC’s fundraising initiatives for the birthday celebrations.
Similar golf day packages were available with other ANC bigwigs, including treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa, who came a lot cheaper than Ramaphosa at R250,000.
Tickets to play with members of the national executive committee cost R150,000 and the company of provincial executive committee members was a snip at R100,000.
General tickets cost R20,000 and companies could put their brands on individual holes for a fee. Prize money of R60,000 was up for grabs.
Ramaphosa and senior party members have been participating in build-up activities before the birthday bash on Saturday.
The president is expected to deliver the January 8 statement which outlines the governing party’s political programme.
Watch Live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of MYANC.