CAMPUS CHAOS: Court orders Manamela to reinstate NSFAS board, suspending Mathebula
NSFAS administrator Prof Hlengani Mathebula’s appointment has been suspended by the Pretoria High Court, which ordered the reinstatement of the board after the court cited “bizarre” conduct from Mathebula’s past at SARS and procedural flaws in Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela’s intervention.
On 14 August 2026, the Pretoria High Court ordered the reinstatement of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board and suspended Prof Hlengani Mathebula's appointment as administrator of the R54-billion scheme. Judge Labuschagne cited "bizarre" conduct from Mathebula's past at SARS and procedural flaws in Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela's intervention.
Mathebula has been embroiled in scandal involving expensive hotel bookings and adviser appointments, facing scrutiny in Parliament. Manamela argued that the remaining seven NSFAS board members no longer complied with statutory composition requirements and that consultation with the board was necessary due to the Nugent Commission's adverse findings.
The court disagreed, stating that Mathebula's questionable response to corruption and poor track record at SARS made him unsuitable to oversee public funds.
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