Court suspends NSFAS administrator appointment

The South Africa — Gauteng High Court has suspended the appointment of Professor Hlengani Mathebula as administrator of the South Africa — National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), pending the final determination of a review application. The court found that Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela's decision to appoint Mathebula and dissolve the NSFAS board was irrational. The court ordered the reinstatement of the seven remaining board members, who had challenged the minister's intervention as procedurally flawed and allegedly motivated by an ulterior motive. The board members argued that the administration was intended to block the appointment of Waseem Carrim as CEO. The court's interim ruling allows the board to resume management and governance of NSFAS immediately. Minister Manamela has acknowledged the judgment and is considering legal options. The ruling follows scrutiny of Mathebula by Parliament's portfolio committee, which revealed he paid four advisors without necessary approvals, prompting recommendations for disciplinary action.