Tuesday, 25 August 2026

NSFAS improperly funded more than 40,000 students across 76 institutions to the value of R5.1 billion; panellists called for accountability, forensic investigation and urgent payment of withheld allowances.

Student representatives blamed repeated leadership changes and governance failures for NSFAS's instability, while proposals ranged from fundamental reform to dismantling the scheme and administering funding through universities.

Land restitution remains severely backlogged: 5,200 of the original 88,000 claims are unresolved, while roughly 160,000 later claims remain frozen pending completion of older cases.

District Six still has 954 early-order claimants awaiting restitution, while promised development has lagged; the committee said government must fast-track dignified homes before elderly claimants die.

The Eastern Cape conceded it unlawfully retained 33% of schools' budgets; a court ordered quarterly public reporting for a year, while unions called for a forensic audit and parliamentary accountability.