Sengathi abafundanga lutho abeNSFAS eminyakeni eyisihlanu edlule, kuloba uJabulani Sikhakhane
UKUBUYELA kwesikhwama esixhasa izitshudeni i-National Student Financial Aid Scheme (iNSFAS) esandleni somlawuli kungakapheli ngisho iminyaka emibili yaphuma kulolu hlelo kuqubula imibuzo ngenqubekelaphambili ekuphatheni lesi sikhwama ngendlela.
Sibalulekile lesi sikhwama njengoba silekelela izitshudeni eziphuma emindenini ehola kancane. Siwumgudu ovulelwe izingane zale mindeni ukuthi nazo zithole ithuba lokuthola imfundo ephakeme namakhono, okubalulekile ekutholeni amathuba emisebenzi.
Noma sinyukile isibalo sezitshudeni ezineziqu namakhono ezintula umsebenzi kodwa isabalulekile imfundo ephakeme kuleli zwe ukwandisa amathuba okuthola umsebenzi. Nakhona, kuya ngokuthi umuntu unanhloboni yeziqu nekhono lomsebenzi.
Abaqashi abaningi, ikakhulukazi abemisebenzi eholela kahle, abavamile nokumbheka umuntu ongalunguzanga enyuvesi noma ongenalo ikhono. Ugcina ebhekwe abemisebenzi eholela kancane nengadingi amakhono noma imfundo ephakeme.
UNgqongqoshe weMfundo ePhakeme uDkt uBlade Nzimande umemezele ngeSonto ukuthi usekhiphe ezikhundleni amalungu ebhodi yalesi sikhwama. Lesi simemezelo senziwe emva kwezinsuku ezimbili usihlalo webhodi uMnu u-Ernest Khosa eshiye phansi kulesi sikhundla.
UKhosa wahlaba ikhefu lezinsuku eziwu-30 ngasekupheleni kukaJanuwari emva kwamahemuhemu ayemhlanganisa nomkhonyovu ngokusetshenziswa kwezimali zeNSFAS. Uze washiya esikhundleni eziphika lezi zinsolo ezaqhamuka nenhlangano elwa nokungaphathwa ngendlela kwezimali zikahulumeni, i-Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse.
UNzimande umemezele ukuthi useqoke uMnu uFreeman Nomvalo ukuthi abewumlawuli weNSFAS. UNomvalo wuqweqwe ekuphatheni nasekucwaningeni amabhuku nowayengumphathi omkhulu emNyanweni weziMali ngeminyaka yama-2000.
Ingxenye enkulu yezizathu ezibekwe wuNzimande zokukhipha ibhodi abeke uNomvalo iyefana nezango-2018. Ngalo wonyaka owayenguNgqongqoshe weMfundo ePhakeme uDkt uNaledi Pandor wabeka uDkt uRandall Carolissen, owake waba yisikhulu sophiko oluqoqa intela ukuthi abumbe kabusha ingxenye enkulu yokusebenza kweNSFAS.
Ekupheleni konyaka ayenqunyelwe wona uCarolissen, uNzimande, owathatha izintambo emva kokhetho ngo-2019, waphinde waqoka uCarolissen unyaka owengeziwe ukuze aqedele umsebenzi wakhe. Waqoka ibhodi entsha nomphathi-jikelele walesi sikhwama ngasekupheleni kwango-2021.
Okuphawulekayo ukufana kwamagama emibandela ebekelwe uNomvalo uma eqhathaniswa nekaCarolissen ngesikhathi ethatha izintambo ngo-2018. Ukufana kwayo kukhomba ukuthi akukho nqubekelaphambili esibekhona ngokuphatha lesi sikhwama kusukela ngo-2018.
Uma ibekhona, kusho ukuthi konke okwalungiswa ngesikhathi sikaCarolissen kuhlakazwe yibhodi nomphathi omkhulu walesi sikhwama esikhathini esingaphansi kweminyaka emibili seloku baqokwa ngo-2021.
Namagama okususa ibhodi ayafana. UDkt uPandor wabhala kwisimemezelo sakhe ukuthi ususe amalungu ebhodi emva kokukhononda isikhathi eside ngokuhluleka kweNSFAS ukuqinisekisa ngemininingwane yemali ekumele inikwe izitshudeni.
Okwesibili, wathi iNSFAS yehluleka ukukhipha ngesikhathi izimali izinikeze izitshudeni zasemanyuvesi namakolishi okuqeqesha ngamakhono.
NoNzimande ubeke lezi zizathu emva kweminyaka emihlanu umlingani wakhe akhononda ngazo, okuqubula imibuzo ngenqubekelaphambili ngokuphatha lesi sikhwama ngendlela efanele.
Bobabili baphinde bakhononda ngokungasebenzi ngendlela kwezinhlelo zobuchwepheshe nokuxhumana, okuwuhlelo oluwumongo wokusebenza kweNSFAS.
Imibandela yabaphathi nayo iyefana kakhulu. U-Carolissen wayeqokelwe ukulungisa ngokushesha imininingwane ngezitshudeni ezinikwa usizo nabafake izicelo, aphothule zonke izicelo zosizo, aqikelele nokuthi imininingwane yeNSFAS ngezitshudeni ezithola usizo ifana nse neyamanyuvesi nama-TVET college.
Wanikwa nomsebenzi wokuqikelela ukuthi izinkontileka zokuxhaswa kwezitshudeni zikhona nokuthi izitshudeni zixhaswa ngendlela efanele, okumele kuqoshwe emabhukwini ngendlela. Kwathiwa kumele enze ukuthi zonke izitshudeni okufanele zithole usizo ngokwemigomo yeNSFAS ziyaluthola.
Waphinda wanikwa igunya lokushintsha izinhlelo zokuphatha nokwengamela iNSFAS ukuze lesi sikhwama sikwazi ukubhekana nazo zonke izingozi esingahlangabezana nazo.
U-Carolissen wajutshwa ukuthi aqikelele ukuthi kubunjwa amasu okuthatha izinqumo ngezicelo zezitshudeni ngesikhathi, ikakhulukazi ngaphambi kokuthi kufike isikhathi sokubhalisa izitshudeni emanyuvesi nasema-TVET.
Yonke le mibandela ifana nse nebekelwe uNomvalo. Nakhona lapha, loku kuqubula umbuzo othi iyiphi inqubekelaphambili esibekhona ngokuphatha ngendlela eminyakeni emihlanu kusukela ngo-2018.
I-NSFAS inika izitshudeni zemindeni ehola ngaphansi kukaR350 000 ngonyaka imifundaze. Le mifundaze ikhokha izindleko zemfundo nezinye izidingo ezihambisana nemfundo, njengendawo yokuhlala.
Ngo-2023/24, iNSFAS yakhipha uR45.6 billion, okuyisamba umNyango weMfundo ePhakeme othi kulindeleke ukuthi sizonyuka sifinyelele kuR50.8bn ngo-2026/27.
Ekhuluma ngempelasonto, uNzimande ugcizelele ukubaluleka kweNSFAS, wathi seloku yasungulwa isixhase izitshudeni ezingaphezu kuka-5 million. Uthe laba bafundi baqeda sebenamakhono, abanye sebeyizingcweti. Iningi labo likhetha umkhakha wezempilo, othathwa njengowabantu abaphila kahle, phecelezi, i-middle class, futhi iningi kwakungabantu abaphuma emindenini ehluphekayo neyezisebenzi zemisebenzi engadingi amakhono atheni.
Ngokwemininingwane yomnyango, iNSFAS ilindeleke ukuthi ixhase izitshudeni eziwu-2.9m eminyakeni emithathu ezayo kusukela kulo nyaka.
Izindleko zemfundo ephakeme ziyinkinga nasemazweni athuthukile. UMengameli waseMelika, uMnu Joe Biden, usanda kumemezela ukusula ingxenye yezikweletu zabantu ababoleka imali kuhulumeni ukukhokhela imfundo yabo emanyuvesi. Seloku athatha izintambo zombuso, uBiden usesule isikweletu esibalelwa ku$153bn, usizo oluhlomulise abantu abawu-4.3m.
