Johannesburg - Officials at some of the country's colleges have created ghost students as bursary beneficiaries and siphon money into their own pockets, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande said on Thursday.
“I shall work hard with your vigilant support to stamp out perverse tendencies which undermine our effort to increase access to education and training by young people,” he said in a speech prepared for delivery, at a student representative council workshop for Further Education and Training (FET) colleges.
Bursary allocations by the department rose from R1.2 billion in 2011 to R1.7bn in 2012.
“This year, the department is set to distribute approximately R2 billion in financial aid,” said Nzimande.
He said the state had started implementing a policy of providing free education to deserving and academically capable students.
“I must make it clear that this investment demands equal returns.Students have to work hard and pass so that government can be able to support other deserving generations of students.”
Enrolments at FET colleges have grown from about 350,000 in 2010 to over 650 000 last year.
Sapa