Nanso, NSFAF reach deadlock in disbursement of funds
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) on Tuesday met with student body organisations to discuss ongoing delays in the disbursement of student tuition and non-tuition funds. Representatives of the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) walked out of the meeting after rejecting the disbursement timelines tabled by the fund and mobilised students and members of […] The post Nanso, NSFAF reach deadlock in disbursement of funds appeared first on The Namibian.
Black News 
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) on Tuesday met with student body organisations to discuss ongoing delays in the disbursement of student tuition and non-tuition funds.
Representatives of the Namibia National Students Organisation (Nanso) walked out of the meeting after rejecting the disbursement timelines tabled by the fund and mobilised students and members of the public to gather at Government Park on Friday for their planned protest.
Nanso spokesperson Jessy Abraham says the organisation will not continue engagements with NSFAF, after the fund failed to meet its previous commitments to release the funds in April this year.
“We will not negotiate with NSFAF any further. They committed dates in the past which they failed to honour,” says Abraham.
Nanso president Dorothea Nangolo stresses that some students are unable to attend classes or sit for examinations due to the disbursement delays which have caused widespread frustration among parents and students.
In a separate interview, Bernhard Kavau of the Students Union of Namibia (SUN) said despite the fund committing to release the funds in April, many students have not received their allowances yet and yet they’re expected to be on campus every day.
“We currently have students who can’t afford to go to and from classes and some who can’t write exams because they’re required to pay off a 60% deposit to sit for exams,” says Nangolo.
A student leader who wishes to remain anonymous raises concerns about the psychological toll on the affected students, noting that the delay in disbursing said funds has left many under stress and financial strain.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture, in a media statement on Wednesday, says the government remains committed to ensuring access to higher education. It says payments have been processed since April and advance payments were made to institutions to facilitate student registration.
The ministry further states that a payment strategy has been introduced to ensure non-tuition fees are disbursed weekly starting from the second week of June.
Efforts to obtain comment from NSFAF were unsuccessful.
The post Nanso, NSFAF reach deadlock in disbursement of funds appeared first on The Namibian.
