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Deputy Minister Gondwe’s Help Desk a success in the EC

By

Dear Editor

Thousands of students across the Eastern Cape are facing a financial crisis due to being informed that they will be defunded by NSFAS.

Financial insecurity is just one of many issues students encounter, compounded by limited support from the former Department of Higher Education and Training.

To provide students with a platform to voice their concerns about various issues, including NSFAS, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe of the DA, launched a Help Desk. This initiative is already yielding positive results just two months after its inception.

The Help Desk’s impact is being felt in the Eastern Cape, particularly with the support of the DA Student Organisation (DASO).

At Nelson Mandela University (NMU), where DASO secured 79% of the vote during the recent SRC elections, 1,315 out of 1,895 outstanding cases have been resolved, resulting in payment for many students.

The Minister’s Help Desk also assisted in providing relief to students at the University of Fort Hare (UFH).

On Wednesday, 16 October, DASO’s UFH branch met with the university’s Financial Aid Office to address numerous student inquiries. We discovered that over 1,000 students lacked funding, and NSFAS had informed the Financial Aid Office that 262 students would be defunded.

We wrote to Dr Gondwe on 21 October, submitting a list of affected students and requesting that her Help Desk verify the reasons for their defunding. As a result of this intervention, we can report that many student queries have now been resolved, while others remain under investigation.

Dr Gondwe’s Help Desk and NSFAS have responded swiftly, confirming that students who were defunded due to administrative errors can now visit the UFH Financial Aid Office to check their funding statuses.

We commend Dr Gondwe for taking the initiative to explore innovative solutions, including the use of technology, to respond more quickly and provide more effective services.

DASO will continue our fight to ensure that the Department prioritises the well-being of students and that no student is left behind.

Regards

Baxolile Nodada MP and Kabelo Mogatosi MPL
DASO West and DASO East Constituency Leaders

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