Opinion Column
During the cause of the previous week and a week before it at least two TVET colleges in the country took to the streets to register their dissatisfaction.
The first of this anomaly happened in Amajuba TVET college in Kwazulu-Natal. The incident left not less than 14 students behind bars for acting outside the law against the Minister of Higher Education and training.
The second incident was reported live by the media involving students of South West Gauteng College in Roodepoort, Gauteng. Both the incidents were said to have been stemming from grievances related to the controversial NSFAS failure to live to its expectations.
The differences between the students and Department of (DHET) has since soured with Nzimade carrying the can.
That Minister Ndimande has benefited from the NSFAS cannot not be the direct reason behind the poor service delivery unless the role players were not tasked based on skills, knowledge and values which are inherent ingredients to the type of service under discussion.
That is, the minister would have logically made sure that all operations are well-oiled to conceal his crime, if there is any.
The error seems to be in the organizational structure. You have TVET colleges running on policies that are not so considerate to NSFAS operational plans. Here is what happens: NSFAS pays out first in January and February to ensure students are able to pay accommodation and transport money to colleges for attendance. At these payment periods and subsequent months colleges will be busy admitting new students while bungling the paper trail. By the time students start the revolt, their papers would still be lying in the NSFAS offices in colleges.
This was said in the previous articles and it is stated now that the working relations between TVET colleges and NSFAS is taxing on NSFAS and is designed in such a way that colleges could easily pass the buck while NSFAS is always the scape goat. NSFAS has no jurisdiction over colleges and yet colleges’ actions affect its operations. It is an untenable position that warrants fixation for the sake of the benefit of the students despite peace and sanity.
Poor service delivery in colleges can no longer be postponed given the volatility and general disregard for law that this behaviour causes. Lawlessness and the spirit of rebellion when the country is close to the general elections might be to play in the hands of war mongers; it might as well put the courts in a compromising position, having to choose between applying the law.