Recent reports by News24 reveals that according to records, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) paid monthly allowances to 157 980 ghost students.
A recent report by News24 on the NSFAS has shaken Mzansi. The reports reveal that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme continues to pay 157 980 R1 650 monthly allowances to “ghost students” through the state-funded programme. In case you were wondering, the ghost students are students who do not exist.
The news outlet also reports that the “massive discrepancy equates to nearly R260.7 million that remains unaccounted for in the monthly disbursement of state funds.” On October 18, the NSFAS revealed that a forensic probe found that the NSFAS CEO Andile Nongogo, who was fired, had handpicked four firms to pay around 1.1 million students their R1,650 monthly allowances directly. He did this without going through tertiary institutions as the previous payment method entailed.
According to the records, the four fintech companies appointed to disburse the allowances only paid 390,000 students since July, when the contract started. This leaves 157,980 beneficiaries unaccounted for and nearly R260.7 million going to unknown people.
One of the four companies named in the NSFAS probe stated that it had not received any investigative report accusing it of wrongdoing.
