On Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new cabinet, appointing Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, formerly the deputy minister of Mineral Resources and Energy as the Minister of Higher Education.
Nkabane is replacing Blade Nzimande, who served as Higher Education minister from 2019 to 2024.
The new minister in charge of higher education will need to hit the ground running if she wants to solve the challenges facing students in the sector.
Throughout Nzimande’s tenure, issues like increasing tuition fees, ballooning student debt, and disruptions in the distribution of National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding threatened to undermine the work of the Department.
Student Unions Welcome Appointment Of New Minister
The South African Union of Students (SAUS) welcomed the appointment of Nkabane as the new Minister for the Department of Higher Education and Training.
They described Nkabane, as an experienced academic and government official, who brings extensive knowledge to the department. Her career is marked by intellectual rigour and a strategic approach to addressing issues within the sector.
Her vast contributions to government can be characterised by a profound depth of knowledge and excellence. Dr. Nkabane has consistently demonstrated an unparalleled dedication to both her academic pursuits and her role as a leader in government and the community in general.
SAUS highlighted the challenges within higher education, including coordination issues and resistance from university officials to government initiatives aimed at supporting students from poor and working-class backgrounds.
SAUS also highlighted the administrative challenges at the NSFAS, which poses a threat to the progress of South Africa's education system.
NSFAS provides comprehensive bursaries and student loans to deserving learners enrolled in approved courses at universities and TVET colleges. This includes money for tuition and registration fees as well as several allowances for food, accommodation and learning materials.
The NSFAS bursaries ensure that children from poor and working-class families can obtain tertiary education qualifications.
NSFAS has been one of the most just and critical interventions to alleviate the poverty and suffering of our people, particularly the poor and working class, who in the main are the black majority
SAUS believes a critical part of Nkabane's task is to reform NSFAS to ensure it continues to serve these students effectively and expands its reach to include the "missing middle" for the next 30 years and beyond.
Therefore, among some of the most critical tasks which we believe that Dr. Nobuhle is equal to, is the fixing of the scheme to ensure that not only can it carry on to service the poor and working class with sheer excellence and dedication, but that it broadens its reach to the missing middle, doing so for the next 30 years and beyond.
Former Higher Education Nzimande launched the missing middle NSFAS student loans as part of the Comprehensive Funding Model in January. These loans are aimed to assist students who do not qualify for NSFAS bursaries but cannot afford the costs associated with higher education.
SAUS emphasises that their significant task ahead for Dr Nkabane, which requires decisive action and a strong commitment to the interests of the poor and working class. The union believes Dr Nkabane is well-equipped to address these challenges and looks forward to meeting with the new minister to discuss her new responsibilities in detail.
