Students suspended after questioning allowance payout amounts

Seventeen students at King Sabata Dalindyebo College’s Ntabozuko campus in Xhorha have been suspended for misconduct after alleging they were short-changed for their allowances.

Most of the suspensions relate to allegations of assault, bullying and intimidation of teachers and fellow students.

The Dispatch has seen at least six letters suspending students.

Students alleged R5m that not all funds deposited to the institution by the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in January could be accounted for.

The total amount would have seen NSFAS-backed students receiving stipends averaging R2,900 a month.

But some students say they received only R290 a month.

Classes came to a halt in late July after the students started protesting about unpaid NSFAS allocations.

Though not dated, the suspensions, signed by principal JT Ngcobo, came into effect on Monday and Tuesday.

Some of the suspended students spoke to the Dispatch on condition of anonymity.

One said: “As candidate representatives for students, we have tried to communicate with management, but they told us they do not have any cash at KSD, that the money is at NSFAS and that we should approach them.”

The Dispatch viewed the “My NSFAS” portal, on which students can see their tuition fees and other information.

“The portal reflects 2018, 2019 and 2021. The current year does not reflect. We took that up with the bursary officer, who said they were querying that too,” the student leader said.

Another student said: “It’s painful being suspended for fighting for my rights, and especially so when there is no coherent response to account for why we have been receiving these amounts.”

Suspended student Nomampondo Ngongongo, who has a letter from her doctor stating she has clinical depression as a consequence of the allowance not being paid, says she only attended student meetings and never spoke at them,  yet she is suspended.

The students wrote to the UDM in parliament to assist  them, which in turn has queried the matter with principal Ngcobo.

In a letter responding to UDM MP Yongama Zigebe, Ngcobo said some students had been paid in September.

Ngcobo said on September 28, 54 students received a “living allowance” of R290.

The principal undertook to send a delegation to NSFAS on October 1.

Addressing questions around the R36m paid by NSFAS to the school, Ngcobo’s letter said the NSFAS deposited money to the college regularly for tuition fees, student allowances and hostel accommodation.

The money, his letter said, was used by the college to pay student allowances “as and when we receive remittances from NSFAS”, and credit student accounts for class fees.

Student hostel accounts for those who residing in the facilities were also credited.

Ngcobo’s letter said that, to date, they had paid R24.1m in student allowances for 2020.

“I would estimate we have about R36m now on the whole NSFAS account. This is a moving target because we pay allowances and credit the students’ accounts for tuition on a weekly basis once we receive remittances, as explained above.”

Late on Tuesday Ngcobo asked the Dispatch to send him queries but by print deadline on Wednesday no further correspondence had been received from him.

NSFAS spokesperson Phathisa Ntlonze also had not responded to queries. Higher education & training spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi did not respond to questions sent on Monday. A reminder was sent on Tuesday.

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