Page 63 - March EW PDF 24

nouncing the merger of its party committee and the office
of the president to form a new Party Committee Office that
will run the country’s top-ranked institution, Radio Free
Asia reported. And a review of campus websites by the US-
funded station indicates that similar changes are under way
in at least eight other major institutions.
This signifies a profound shift in power dynamics, plac-
ing greater emphasis on the authority of the Chinese Com-
munist Party (CCP) in higher education, according to Ye
Liu, a reader in international development at King’s College
London. “While not entirely unexpected, this development
underscores the enduring influence of the CCP administra-
tion over academic affairs,” she says.
Dr. Liu says that while party committees have long ex-
ercised control over university operations by promoting
ideological reforms, academics had been able to retain a Blade Nzimande: kickbacks allegation
degree of freedom in their teaching and research provided
that they declared their loyalty to the CCP. The merger of staff members in recent months. Politicians, students and
the parallel systems could presage a “heightened crackdown civil society groups have called for Nzimande to be sacked.
on academic freedom,” says Dr. Liu. As the new academic year looms, meanwhile, NSFAS has
Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese studies at King’s, missed a deadline that it set itself to pay outstanding allow-
views the mergers as underlining that the CCP regards uni- ances from last year to what it said was around 20,000 stu-
versities as key areas for indoctrination and for managing dents. Only about 9,000 have been “successfully resolved”
potential ideological threats, although, he explains, it had so far, according to the fund. It blames the continuing de-
always been known that real power on campuses lay in the lays on universities failing to submit registrations on time,
hands of party officials. “The changes that have been imple- but the South African Union of Students (SAUS) laments
mented, therefore, while making this role far clearer, don’t what it says is NSFAS’ “regrettable and perpetual inability”
probably mean any radical change from the way things have to deliver on its mandate. SAUS says the 20,000 figure is
been before. They just make it more explicit. They underline probably a significant underestimate, because other stu-
just how deep the party now reaches into society, and how dents have been unable to get on to a new payment platform
commanding its role is,” says Brown. to receive their allowances.
NSFAS had already been rocked last October by alle-
SOUTH AFRICA gations of “irregular conduct” by its then chief executive,
Shame & scandals Andile Nongogo, in relation to the appointment of service
providers, which pay around 1.1 million students their 1,650
AHEAD OF THE START OF THE ACADEMIC rand (Rs.7,255) monthly allowance directly, in contrast to
year in February, South African higher education previous arrangements when universities made the pay-
is mired in crisis, amid claims of corruption and ments. Nongogo was dismissed and his appeal against his
questions over the ability of the country’s student funding termination was dismissed by a labour court in January.
scheme to manage payments. Higher education minister Nico Cloete, former director of the Centre for Higher
Blade Nzimande has been on the ropes for weeks following Education Trust and coordinator of the Higher Education
publication of allegations that together with NSFAS chair Research and Advocacy Network in Africa, questions the
Ernest Khosa he took kickbacks from the National Student wisdom of the 1999 decision to take responsibility for mak-
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), a bursary for students from ing bursary payments away from universities. “The admin-
poor and working-class families. istration of giving the funds to students was taken away
The accusations are levelled by the Organisation Undo- from universities because in that system, people at NSFAS
ing Tax Abuse (OUTA), a civil society body, which shared and other national agencies could not steal the money. So
as evidence what it says are voice recordings of Khosa and this is a perfect storm of a lack of capacity combined with
representatives of NSFAS service providers. The alleged corruption,” he says.
payments reportedly include a donation of one million Referring to the broader challenges facing the sector,
rand (Rs.44 lakh) to the South African Communist Party, Prof. Cloete adds: “This is of course the simple story of the
which Nzimande chairs, from the husband of a company new South Africa; a decrease in efficiency and an increase
director. These allegations add to a sense of turmoil at the in corruption — a very sad (outcome) for higher education.”
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), (Excerpted and adapted from Times Higher Education and
which oversees NSFAS and has lost a string of key senior The Economist)

MARCH 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 63