NSFAS: Funding fiasco

It manages billions of rands in its coffers and serves as a vital lifeline for students in need of financial assistance. Now, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) could be on the brink of collapse. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟮 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In an informal settlement in the Northern Cape... Tannie Nellie Frans, an elderly woman who’s been living in the area for over 50 years, waits for promised government houses to be built across the road from her home. Her community has also been promised a new school and a hospital, something they’ve needed for years. Despite repeated promises, Tannie Nellie hasn’t seen a single contractor on the site. But in this province, unfulfilled promises are a regular feature of residents’ complaints and even the capital, Kimberley, hasn’t been spared. Government has neglected the water system for decades and national funding has been misused and mismanaged by both provincial and local governments. Carte Blanche continues its election coverage in this forgotten part of the country. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟳 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. In the Eastern Cape, thousands suffer from severe malnutrition. It’s a condition that has led to the deaths of at least seven children in the province, and a crisis that requires significant funding and political will to resolve. But in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, home to one of the province’s biggest cities, the priority seems to be multi-million rand vanity projects that have become a financial drain on the municipality’s coffers. Despite being cash-strapped, the municipality established a development agency tasked with boosting tourism and economic development; an agency that is now cashing in on major projects funded by the municipality and its ratepayers. In East London, what should’ve been a world-class beachfront upgrade has disintegrated into nothing more than a glorified “stoep”, while the bill for the Waterworld Fun Park revamp has ballooned to an eye-watering R120 million. Carte Blanche investigates why an entity with a poor track record for delivery is still in business. Find more exclusive content on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are the backbone of the social care system in Gauteng. They provide food, shelter, and medical care for some of the most vulnerable members of society, often reaching people and places that government simply can’t. Now, as Gauteng considers a policy shift for NGOs - which could reduce the very funding that these organisations need to stay afloat - the social security net that has been supporting those in need could finally crumble. But why is government so intent on changing the playing field? Your favourite episodes are now available on Carte Blanche: The Podcast: https://linktr.ee/carteblanchetv