South AFrican Union Accuses Department of Higher Education of Irresponsibility Over Unspent Funds

The South African Federation of Trade Union has accused the Department of Higher Education of being irresponsible, after returning 580-million-rand in unspent funds to the National Treasury. This was during former minister Blade Nzimande’s tenure. The money could have funded a total of nine-thousand-and-71 students for one academic year. Simultaneously, the department paid seven-million-rand annually to 30 suspended employees. Saftu’s spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, says this underspending is mismanagement by the department: