Direct payment system spikes protests at UFS

BY:Senzo Masinga 


Free State 

THIS new system of payment has spiked protests at the university as NSFAS-funded students were not paid allowances since June 2023.

Photo by: Sunday
UFS students on a protest over the New Direct Payment system introduced by NSFAS.


Amid protests, the University of Free State (UFS) has suspended contact classes to online, on 1st August as student protests are causing havoc on campus. The disruption of academic activities occurred in the institution's two campuses namely, Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa campuses.

The university spokesperson Lacea Loader said, "The suspension of academic activities will continue until Friday the 04th of August."

Students protest over the new Direct Payment System (DPS) introduced by NSFAS in June. students protested over DPS via eZaga Holdings' online digital banking service, despite the institution's attempts to seek a better solution. 

"UFS has about 21 000 students who are funded by NSFAS but only 20 000 were onboarded by eZaga and in July only 11 500 received their allowances," said William Peterson.

Various institutions across South Africa have met with NSFAS representatives and Minster of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr. Blade Nzimande to seek a remedy for the DPS issue and their request is still pending.

" To minimize the risk of academic programmes, as well as the fact that this is a wide-sector issue, the academic activities, classes and assignments will continue online until further notice," said UFS spokesperson Mrs. Loader.

The university has teamed up with SAPS to beef up security measures and ensure the safety of all students and staff.  SAPS has also confirmed to have arrested at least two students who were in protest. 

UFS vice-chancellor Prof. Francis William Petersen specified that the University wrote a letter to the minister requesting a meeting. " We wrote a letter to the Minister requesting a meeting to find a solution to the DPS problem, however, he has not responded yet," said Professor Peterson. He further stated that NSFAS issued a list of students who were funded and later issued another tone within a day to defund them. "The anger should not have been expressed against the university,"
said, Petersen.

Mapula Masemula is a 3rd-year student in Bachelor of Social Science at UFS and is amongst many beneficiaries of NSFAS that has not been receiving allowances. "I am now running out of food from the money they gave me at home since NSFAS has not been giving us issues," said Masemula. 

Masemula mentioned that girls are finding it even harder as they cannot even be able to afford sanitary pads as the little, they get from homes all go to food.

UFS Student Representative Council (SRC) members were not found to comment on the ongoing protests across the institution's campuses. 

Protests spiked after NSFAS introduced the new Direct Payments Systems in June 2023. NSFAS said the aim of the DPS was to eliminate third parties in the allowance distribution. 

The introduction of DPS saw the awarding of tenders to several companies that students complained were not in possession of banking licenses. 

Tentech Technologies, eZaga Holdings, Narroco Corporation and Coinvest Africa are four companies awarded tenders by NSFAS since October 2022.

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