NSFAS vows action on student safety after sexual harassment report
NSFAS met the CGE at its Cape Town offices on August 4 in a session led by higher education deputy minister Mimmy Gondwe. The meeting discussed the CGE's 'Gender transformation imperatives for higher education institutions 2024/2025" report, which assessed efforts by universities and TVET colleges to promote inclusivity, transformation and combat sexual harassment.
The CGE warned that delays in allowance disbursements put students, particularly female and queer students, at greater risk, citing 'lack of safety at residences, sexual harassment and GBV' as potential consequences. It stressed the critical role NSFAS must play in addressing these challenges and called for sensitisation programmes in the post-education and training sector.
'GBV continues to be a national crisis. The CGE's reports on sexual harassment and GBV in higher education highlight this issue. It was therefore necessary to arrange a meeting between NSFAS and the CGE to address key findings, especially those concerning students' financial vulnerability,' said Gondwe.
She added the department had already launched Safer Campuses, Safer Spaces outreach campaigns with partners including the CGE, Higher Health, the NPA, SAPS and NSFAS.
The scheme acknowledges the link between late allowance payments and student vulnerability, saying 'timely disbursement of allowances is critical for protecting students from financial hardship and potential victimisation'.
In 2025, NSFAS introduced a fixed disbursement schedule to make payment dates predictable. However, delays remain a concern, often caused by 'delayed verification processes, administrative bottlenecks or banking detail validations'. NSFAS said it is upgrading payment systems, streamlining processes and boosting staff capacity to speed up responses to problems.
The organisation also committed to improving communication with students about payment deadlines and delays to 'reduce uncertainty and stress'.
NSFAS said it would formally respond to the CGE's findings with specific action plans to address student vulnerabilities, which it said 'continue to perpetuate the exploitation of female and queer students'.
The final report will be part of the joint higher education department submission to parliament in September.
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