Pietermaritzburg - Allegations of mismanagement of funds have been levelled against Damelin College, Pietermaritzburg branch, by students who are beneficiaries of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) reparations bursary programme.
The TRC bursary is awarded to victims and dependents of identified TRC victims.
Three students who lost family members during political violence in Mooi River between the 1980s and 1990s are recipients of the bursary.
The bursary programme pays money to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) annually for each student and amounts are inclusive of accommodation fees, transportation, meals and books.
In turn, institutions are expected to deduct tuition fees and return the balance to students.
However, two of the students claimed the institution was pocketing the money due to them illegally.
Nokwanda Ndlovu, a second year Human Resource Management student said last week they had to travel to Pietermaritzburg from Mooi River to stage a sit-in at the institution’s offices demanding their refunds.
She said NSFAS deposited about R87 000 to the college but the college chose to keep mum until she contacted the financial aid scheme directly.
“The college failed to inform us that they received the money until we had to contact NSFAS and learnt that the money was paid to the college months before.
“At first they denied that they received the money but made an about-turn after learning that I called NSFAS,” she said.
After much pressure to refund the students, the college allegedly promised to make the first payment of R20 000 in October.
“They honoured that and I also received another payment of R10 000 and now the remaining R21 000 is still not in the bank.
“I have been calling the head office but there are no answers as to why we are not receiving the rest of the money,” she said.
Nomvelo Langa, a first year Public Management student said a little over R97 000 was paid to the college by NSFAS and that a deduction of R33 000 in tuition fees was to be made and the balance returned to her.
But the college allegedly told her family that it would only be able to make the refund in three months.
“I also received the first payment but it was not what we had agreed upon, we expected a lump sum of the remaining amount because even though we had been at home due to Covid-19, we still needed to pay full rental for accommodation,” said Langa.
“Each time we follow up with the college we are being sent from pillar to post”.
Langa said the reason for barging into the college’s offices last week was that they were reliably informed that the third bursary recipient whose family member was politically connected, received their outstanding amount.
“An official at the Durban office told me that the other student received her money because of the pressure received from the politically connected family member.”
The Sunday Tribune put the allegations to the Education Investment Corporation Limited (Educor), a private tertiary education provider which owns Damelin.
Michael Thurley, chief operating officer, said the matter was being investigated and he would revert in due course.
However, Damelin swiftly made a deposit to Langa of over R27 000.
Dr Randall Carolissen, NSFAS administrator said the organisation was not at liberty to divulge the amounts paid to the two students however confirmed that Damelin debits student’s tuition accounts then refunds credit to the student for applicable allowances such as private accommodation, meals, travel and books.
“NSFAS has engaged the institution to further assist these students on the matter of refunds for their applicable allowances as per registration data submitted by the institution,” he said.
Sunday Tribune