Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande Photo: Dr Blade Nzimande/ Facebook.
OUTA: Blade Nzimande allegedly received bribe for NSFAS tenders
OUTA has submitted voice recording to the SIU which implicate Minister Blade Nzimande and NSFAS Chair were paid bribes for tenders
Higher Education Minister Dr Blade Nzimande Photo: Dr Blade Nzimande/ Facebook.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse(OUTA) has once again revealed a damning report into the National Students Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and has called for the immediate resignation of Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and NSFAS Board chairperson Ernest Khosa.
The NGO has released of series of leaked voice recordings which reveal that Nzimande and Khosa received millions in bribe for tenders and protection by NSFAS service providers.
OUTA’S BOMBSHELL REPORT
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The appointment of four direct payment service providers was brought into question following the release of a report by OUTA, which revealed than none of the appointed service providers had the minimum requirements or expertise to disburse allowances to students.
The four service providers Coinvest Africa (Pty) Ltd, Tenet Technology (Pty) Ltd, Ezaga Holdings (Pty) Ltd and Norraco Corporation (Pty) Ltd have since had their contracts cancelled following an investigation by Werkmans Attorney’s.
“There needs to be a thorough investigation into the vast web of corruption in the higher education sector, which OUTA’s various reports and these recordings reveal,” says OUTA’s head of investigations Rudie Heyneke.
NZIMANDE DISCUSSED IN RECORDED MEETING
According to OUTA, the recordings, sent to them by a whistleblower, document two separate meetings that took place after the NSFAS board resolved (on 16 August 2023).
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Heyneke says in the recordings, there are discussion of how Nzimande, had been worried about his relationship with service providers being made public.
“He warned that the minister was worried that their relationship with the service providers would become known, adding that he suspected that investigators were tracking their cell phones to establish if there were meetings between the minister, the chairperson, and the service providers.”
“They also discussed the criminal charges against Khosa while he was the CEO of the Mpumalanga Economic Empowerment Commission, previous meetings they had with him and the minister and how Khosa allegedly openly talked about a bribe of R6 million in the presence of another NSFAS board member and former president of SASCO, Bamanye Matiwane.
“Ntumba also mentioned a meeting he had with Nzimande where his special advisor, Nqaba Nqandela, was present” Heyneke concluded.
