DA lays criminal charges against Nzimande

Nzimande is at the centre of a report by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) that contains a leaked audio recording of an alleged meeting between Nzimande, NSFAS board chairperson Ernest Khosa and a service provider.

Outa believes the recordings prove the minister and Khosa received kickbacks from companies doing business with the student fund.

Nzimande has since briefed the media in Tshwane on Monday, where he pushed back against the allegations and accused Outa of colluding with companies whose contracts were terminated following an investigation into alleged tender irregularities involving sacked CEO Andile Nongogo.  

Nzimande said his lawyers are studying the report.

The DA's Karabo Khakhau says the party demands accountability from Nzimande and Parliament.

"We, as the Democratic Alliance, take this seriously because the people who are affected by the criminal activities in this department are millions of students who depend on a non-corrupt government to fund their studies for their future.

"We know that we have over R1.1billion funding shortfall, which means that in this academic year, we will have an additional 87,000 who will not be funded, in addition to the over 20,000 students whose fundings were interrupted in the previous academic year.

Various political parties have urged law enforcement authorities to probe the matter, as OUTA’s Rudie Heyneke explained: "The Special Investigating Unit has got a proclamation to investigate NSFAS, and we shared these recordings with them last year in December. They are aware of it, and I am very sure they will be instituting their investigation.

"We will also lay criminal charges, and we will also report this to the South African Revenue Services for them to look at the tax affairs of the contractors, and then we will also ask the auditor-general to look at the contracts and audit them with a very sharp eye."

Nzimande said while he will subject himself to the relevant legal and ethical processes, he has no plans to take the allegations lying down.

"I couldn’t just sit back and not go to my lawyers when are being turned into sitting ducks, just because we are ministers, for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to insult us as they wish."

KHOSA DEATH THREATS

Nzimande alleged that the NSFAS board chairperson had been on the receiving end of death threats since the publication of the report.

"This campaign now unfortunately now includes threats to the life, person, and security of the NSFAS chairperson who has been getting death threats."

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