Please, hon member, sit down. That's not a point of order. Please proceed, Minister.
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: I also
want to assure members especially those who have raised the issue. The stabilisation of NSFAS is my immediate priority now. We need to address some of the challenges that are there. We have acknowledged a number of challenges. Some of them have to do with lack of capacity in some of our institutions to actually manage NSFAS properly. We are prioritising that. I will go beyond that and have a Ministerial Task Team that's going to look into the systemic issues. But to then say because of these challenges, NSFAS is not actually functioning is not true. [Interjections.] There are many EFF students who are benefiting from the National Students Financial Aids Scheme. They don't speak like you speak here because they know what it is like to get NSFAS support unlike you who talk about it from a distance, sitting here comfortable. [Interjections.]
I also want to thanks hon Ndongeni for highlighting many aspects, challenges and things we are doing in relation to the Tvet colleges sector. We are going to grow the Tvet colleges sector. [Interjections.] We are already growing it and we have already grown it. We are going to be focusing. We have a comprehensive turnaround strategy to actually address these particular issues. [Interjections.]
What I would also want to point out is that issues about artisan training are deeply interlinked to actually strengthening our Tvet college system.
We would also like to say that on critical skills, we are continuing as department to publish a least of critical skills. We are going to have the publishing and the master plans. We are going to do that as a matter of urgency. I must say that, as I am standing here, the ANC is under no illusion that we have enormous challenges. But the progress we have made has changed enormously the situation. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Ilungu
elihloniphekile uMadlanduna, ukuba awukho lo hulumeni kaKhongolse ngabe avize zikuhlupheka izangane zakithi, ukuba sazishiya nani njenge-EFF. Ngabe ziyalamba ngabe futhi azifundi. Siyabonga sihlalo.
English: