Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has filed criminal charges against Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, along with the South African Communist Party and NSFAS board chair Ernest Khosa.
The charges stem from allegations of corruption, claiming that they received kickbacks for tenders from NSFAS service providers.
Last week, recordings leaked by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) suggested a corruption scheme within the Higher Education Department and NSFAS.
The DA is urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to dismiss Nzimande and has called for a Special Investigative Unit probe, EWN reported.
📺 [WATCH] The DA takes decisive action against NSFAS student funding corruption by laying charges against Minister Blade Nzimande.
Leaked recordings revealed that the ANC’s tentacles of corruption are targeting student funding through corrupt tenders.
👥 @Siviwe_G x @K_Khakhau pic.twitter.com/ifTjQbYudD
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) January 9, 2024
Nzimande has denied the allegations and expressed willingness to cooperate with any investigation.
“I wish to once again assure the South African public that as Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, I have never used any money from any of my department’s entities for the purpose of funding the South African Communist Party as was maliciously and falsely suggested in the Outa report.
[WATCH] Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande says the voice in Outa’s recordings, in which suppliers and NSFAS board chairperson Ernest Khosa allegedly discussed rampant corruption in the Higher Education tender system, is not his.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/6cLO4nlrQF
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 8, 2024
“Nor have I received any kickbacks from any of the service providers to Nsfas or any of the other entities falling under my department,” The Citizen quoted the minister as saying.
The DA criticised Nzimande for not providing evidence to refute the claims and reassure the public, especially vulnerable students relying on NSFAS.
Earlier, party leader John Steenhuisen said: “This legal action is in keeping with the findings of the state capture commission, which recommended that it should become standard practice to declare board members involved in capture and corruption as delinquent.”
Leaked recordings released by OUTA reveal that service providers that were awarded lucrative tenders to administer direct payments to students allegedly paid kickbacks to the chairman of NSFAS, Ernest Khosa, to the Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, and to the SACP. pic.twitter.com/wxPDmXAL1j
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) January 8, 2024
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
