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The Democratic Alliance in the Northern Cape will continue to drive concerns about the mismanagement of funds, abuse of power and victimization of students at the De Aar campus of the Northern Cape Rural TVET college. Our institutions of higher learning, where students must equip themselves with training, cannot become hotbeds of
corruption.

Earlier this year, for example, a student wrongfully received a double payment from NSFAS. When she realized the mistake, she immediately paid back the money. It is welcome to note her honesty and integrity.

The money was given to the chairperson of the SRC who appears to have failed, whether negligently or deliberately, to pay the money to the college as intended.

Students have lost faith in the procedures followed by the SRC and more than fifty students have signed a petition requesting the dissolution of the current SRC, but their complaints seem to fall on deaf ears.

We will ask for an explanation on the double payment from NSFAS from the CEO of the college. We want to know what the college has done since the matter came to light to ensure that the funds have been paid back by the SRC chairperson.

The Northern Cape has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country for individuals between 15 and 24 years. We need institutions of higher learning to be places where students learn skills and knowledge which will assist them in pursuing opportunities and which will broaden their access to jobs. We cannot afford to have these institutions turn into places where students only learn to steal and cheat.

Issued by The DA