The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) is disgusted by the Department of Higher Education concerning the return of R580 million to the Treasury. This is irresponsible and a clear indication of mismanagement by the department. Meanwhile, needy students remain underfunded and financially excluded from universities. These universities and some colleges often lack equipment, sufficient infrastructure and this disadvantages their academic output.
Infrastructure
The lack of adequate investments in the South African higher education has perpetuated the historical impediments created by apartheid, in which the black majority was limited from accessing higher education. This was done by underinvesting in Black universities and creating little to no access to other universities.
The underinvestment in higher education, including irresponsible under-expenditure such as this one, contributes to the continued shutting out of doors of higher education, many prospective students because of the lack of expansion of spaces to students in universities and colleges.
In the 2023 academic year, 572 983 out of 897 775 matriculants passed. In the same period, the combined available spaces for first-year students in colleges and universities were 692 244. If we factor in the excess students who were excluded from the institutions due to a lack of spaces in previous years, itโs clear that the available spaces cannot cater all prospective students.
The main factor contributing to this problem is the lack of expansion of universitiesโ physical space, and by extension, a corresponding staff establishment. For instance, Patrick Fitzgerald and Spencer Hodgson indicated in a paper presented to the SARUA Executive Programme that โenrolment growth has resulted in a dire shortage of classrooms, laboratories, offices and residence accommodationโ at Wits University. It is not the enrolment that is the problem but is the lack of planning and financial support to universities by the higher education department, to enable them to expand to accommodate increased enrolments.
Needy students underfunded and financially excluded
There is little regard for funding for underprivileged students in our country. The Department has continuously failed students by allowing financial burdens to hinder their academic advancement.
The inability to spend the designated R580 million by the department is unacceptable. Each year, students in South Africa face significant financial hardships. These students should have been prioritised before returning such a large sum by transferring it to NSFAS. This means millions were left over shows that NSFAS has no reason to reject the 476 students for the 2024 academic year.
Research by Michelle Banda and Alinanswe Lusengo indicates that as of 2024, students in South Africa are burdened with approximately R16.5 billion in academic debt. Despite this pressing issue, the department failed to allocate funds that could have alleviated this significant challenge for young South Africans.
SAFTU urges the Department to redirect leftover funds into helping students dissolve academic debt and fund rejected students. Money allocated for higher education should be used towards the improvement of higher learning institutions and to ensure students are not indebted to universities/colleges.
Colleges lack equipment
Related to infrastructure in importance is equipment. But underspending and fiscal austerity in general have undermined the capacity of higher education institutions, particularly, TVET colleges. Zanele Buthelezi highlighted in 2018 that TVET colleges had shortages of furniture, textbooks, libraries, computers, printers, photocopies and equipment that are necessary for vocational education.
This disadvantages students in the process of learning, as material for learning cannot be printed on time, lecturers cannot make copies for their lessons, few spaces in computer labs for students, etc.
In addition, lack of equipment sabotages the administrative duties of the Colleges. Together with general incompetence and mismanagement by College managements, it explains why marks for students are usually not released on time and Colleges do not have effective communication methods with students, etc.
The sweat and tears of the #FeesMustFall movement seem to have been in vain, as the government appears indifferent to its failure to support students and institutions to create access and deliver quality education to students. The underspending of R580 million is utter irresponsibility and mismanagement.
