Cape Town – The Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande, has responded to allegations of corruption, claiming that the accusations against him, involving the misappropriation of funds from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas), are an attempt by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) to tarnish his reputation.
Nzimande denied using department funds for the South African Communist Party or receiving kickbacks from Nsfas service providers.
“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.
He dismissed the claims as baseless and part of a malicious campaign against him.
Nzimande attributed the accusations to a fight-back campaign, asserting his innocence and expressing willingness to take legal action.
Outa released voice recordings suggesting kickbacks to Nzimande and the Nsfas board chair in exchange for tenders.
Meanwhile, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced on Monday that his party would pursue legal action against Nzimande.
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
“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,” said Steenhuisen.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
