NMMU students spend R¼m on a ‘parliament’

ONE of the challenging issues facing students in South Africa has been gaining access to finance to further their education.

Earlier this year, Sasco held a march at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) bemoaning a “lack of student funding”.

Hardly a month later, Sasco chose to waste students’ funds by holding a student parliament at the five-star Boardwalk Conference Centre, for a whopping R250 000 over two days over the weekend of March 22 and 23.

This is despite NMMU having world class venues, which were previously used by the Daso-led student representative council (SRC) for the past two years – at no cost!

In real terms, R250 000 could have helped register 44 students for bachelors degree at NMMU.

In 2011, when Sasco was last at the helm, it spent tens of thousands of rands of students’ money by taking the student parliament to Willows Resort. It looks like it is continuing where it left off – fruitless and wasteful expenditure of students’ funds.

When it comes to leading students, good governance is exercising a custodial role for students’ funds intended to help them, particularly the financially needy.

It is about responsible and effective management of the financial resources.

It is ultimately about serving the students, something Daso did exceptionally well.

Some R¼-million spent on self-indulgent expenditure by Sasco-led SRC members, who have chosen to serve themselves rather than the students, illustrates a growing trend by the ANC and its affiliates of exploiting public office for their own selfish ends. It is behaviour that is, in short, blatantly arrogant and anti-poor.

Did I also mention that the SRC uniform this year includes R1 600 Kurt Geiger designer shoes for a 21-member council, tailored suits and leather trolley bags for its executive?

Kabelo Mogatosi, DA Youth national chair in administration and former Daso NMMU deputy chairperson.