Central SA
Free State tertiary institutions generally ready for academic year─── ZENANDE MPAME 10:58 Mon, 03 Feb 2025
The Department of Higher Education and Training has promised to address issues of residences, registrations, the National Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), and bogus colleges ahead of the 2025 academic year.
Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe visited tertiary institutions in the Free State to ensure their readiness for the upcoming academic year, including the Goldfields TVET College and the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Welkom on Friday (31/1).
“I visited the Goldfields TVET College, and I must say the college is generally prepared, although there are still challenges, particularly around NSFAS and the funding the financial scheme is supposed to allocate to learners,” Gondwe told OFM News.
“The institution also highlighted they have issues around infrastructure, which is old and neglected. The college also doesn’t have accommodation, and this is a more pressing issue.”
Students told her not having accommodation exposed them to all forms of violence. “Luckily Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha was with us and he undertook to ensure there are conversations with the mining companies to see how they can assist,” she said.
The department has identified more than a hundred bogus institutions nationwide, and strongly urged students to be cautious when they select their institution of higher learning to avoid falling victim to them.
Fraudulent institutions post advertisements on social media, and some even set up offices, classrooms, or other structures that appear authentic. Parents and students may contact the department’s call centre on 080 087 2222 to determine the legitimacy of an institution of higher learning before registering there.
“At CUT, the institution is relatively ready, but it also has NSFAS challenges. I had the financial scheme in tow at both these institutions, and they raised issues of the (admission) system the university has, and the vice chancellor committed to relaxing the system to take more students,” said Gondwe.
“There were accommodation issues, and it was established that the university has 192 new beds, but they still don’t have the accommodation they would like to see, the mayor of Welkom promised to assist where she can with the accommodation.”
Gondwe will continue her state of readiness visits at higher education institutions in the Western Cape, namely West Coast TVET College and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology on Monday (3/2).
