New board must clean up NSFAF mess

A new board of directors has been appointed to clean up and restore the image of the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and to transform it as it plans to return, as a directorate, under the wing of the higher education ministry.

Higher education minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi yesterday announced the board that will be chaired by Development Bank of Namibia spokesperson Jerome Mutumba, who will be deputised by businesswoman Christina Swart-Opperman.

She emphasised that there were challenges that would require their collective wisdom as a board and added that “the negative publicity has to come to an end”.

Kandjii-Murangi said she believed that the board members, with their experience and educational background, would resolve some of the negative publicity haunting the fund.

The controversy surrounding the fund's administration has dominated the news for the past few years and eventually prompted a decision to remove its parastatal status and integrate it into the ministry.

However, the minister yesterday stated that it would take time and certain processes needed to take place before the fund could eventually be part of the ministry.

“The fund was established by an act of parliament, we will have to look at repealing the law. And these things cannot be done instantaneously,” she said.

NSFAF was established in January 1997 to provide financial assistance to students at approved institutions of higher education. The minister repeated that the board's main purpose was to provide clear, effective guidance and leadership in the affairs of NSFAF. She also said the board would ensure that the transformative processes at the fund do not negatively affect service delivery.

“The board must take correct and decisive actions to improve NSFAF governance, service delivery and restore students, parents, staff and public trust in the fund,” she said.

The institution has been embroiled in controversy over claims of corruption and financial mismanagement. The fund's management failed to turn up for a public hearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts towards the end of last year, where it was expected to account for more than N$1.7 billion.

In fact, the situation at the institution has become so dire that in 2016 the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Public Enterprises were prompted to investigate its procurement procedures.

In the same year a report by auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers stated that the fund had failed to provide documents to verify the loans and scholarships it had awarded. The fund also failed to keep proper record and has lost the records of some loan and grant recipients.

Kandjii-Murangi appealed to the new board to make efforts to improve and simplify the selection procedures and to ensure that correct records are kept and readily available at all times.

“With 8 000 Grade 12 learners having qualified to access higher education institutions, what innovative ways can the board and fund come up with to ensure the majority of those, especially those that come from poor and impoverished backgrounds, are identified and given an opportunity to further studies and become active participants in the Namibian House?” she asked.

The other members are business transformation expert Stephen Tjiuoro, Abner Ananias, Adda Angula, Natascha Cheikhyoussef, Isak Neema and Tulimeke Munyika.

The board will serve for three years.

JEMIMA BEUKES