The South African Union of Students (SAUS) strongly rejects and condemns the proposed amendments to list student with the credit bureau by then Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC).

This proposal wants to see the blacklisting of students which would affect their prospects of getting employed and subsequently worsen the unemployment rate in our country. This proposal is a spit in the face and betrayal of the struggles of the #FeesMustFall generation; it is a tone-deaf attempt to criminalise student debt and exclude poor young graduates from participating effectively in the economy.

It is clear to us as the union that instead of addressing the root causes of our country’s funding crisis, government through the DTIC wants to scapegoat students for its own failures to establish a free, decolonised, and sustainable higher education funding model. In our recent 9th Elective Conference as SAUS, we resolved to confront the student debt crisis fiercely and aggressively by calling for the clearing of all historical debts across all institutions of higher education, starting with the debts of deceased students and unemployed graduates.

We will not stand by while access to higher education is criminalised, and poor students are punished for the failures of government to transform the higher education sector’s funding model and create jobs for graduates. This proposal is regressive, anti-poor, and reckless. It disregards the lived reality of thousands of students and graduates who are either unemployed or underemployed. SAUS represents the disenfranchised, destitute, and working-class students of this country, and we therefore cannot support this proposal by the DTIC that will further entrench them deeper into poverty.

The DTIC should instead work together with the private sector and higher education institutions to develop clear all historical debt. The clearing of historical student debt is the only logical and acceptable solution for the union.


We therefore call on the DTIC to withdraw this proposal with immediate effect!

Issued by the South African Union of Students:
SAUS President: Siyabonga Moses Nkambako
SAUS Secretary General: Nhlonipho Nxumalo
For Media Inquiries contact:
SAUS Spokesperson
Thato Masekoa
(+27) 79 129 5948

The South African Union of Students (SAUS) convened its 9th National Elective
Congress in two folds; firstly, at the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) from the 10th to the 13th of July 2025 and reconvened again at Boontjieskraal Incubation & Conference, Kimberly, Northern Cape from the 22nd to the 23rd of August 2025

The conference was convened under the theme “Confronting the suppression of student activism and advancing transformative student governance in institutions of higher learning”.

The congress was convened under a difficult period for the Post-School Education and Training (PSET) sector marred with various challenges such as the suppression of student activism in universities across the country; victimisation of student leaders; rising student historical debts; the defunding of students by NSFAS and the Gender Based Violence scourge which is ravaging our universities across all campuses in South Africa amongst others.

The conference tackled the most pressing material conditions affecting students in institutions of higher learning, these conditions range from a lack of a sustainable funding model, student historical debt, and the accommodation crisis. Conference
resolved on proposing innovative and sustainable models to ensure financial and residential access is not a barrier to success. It proposed comprehensive reforms to the funding model and debt crisis such as:

• Redesigning NSFAS for sustainability and reliability, with a strengthened portal and
• communication system.
• Developing a sustainable funding scheme for the “missing middle students,” postgraduates, and N+ students.
• Actively campaigning for the government to clear all student historical student debt, starting with the deceased students and unemployed graduates.
• Abolishing application fees at all institutions.
• Engaging the Higher Education Authority to implement a fixed, multi-year fee increase model to replace volatile annual increments.

The 9th elective conference resolved that a working paper on the role of Artificial Intelligence (Al) in strengthening and broadening academic and administrative support for students across the higher education sector must be developed.
A clear roadmap must be developed for the fundamental revision of the national student funding model, exploring sustainable funding sources beyond current allocations to ensure its long-term viability and an increase in funding more students across the country.

Conference resolved to initiate a concerted process of lobbying and campaigning for the comprehensive review and amendment of the Higher Education Act and the NSFAS Act to align them with the transformative agenda of the student movement. Conference further resolved that the NEC must investigate to ascertain whether all institutions have fit-for-purpose Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) policies and report on their implementation efficacy, it must investigate and propose minimum standards and protocols for the appointment and conduct of private/institutional security personnel on campuses specifically in relation to handling GBVF cases and student protests.

Conference further resolved that a solution for students who applied during the tvet cycle must be urgently found just so we can quickly counter a drastic increase in student debt and student dropouts come 2026.

In closing, the congress, as mandated by the constitution of the Union, also elected the 9th National Executive Committee as led by:

President: Siyabonga Moses Nkambako (UKZN)
Deputy President: Mcntosh Khasembe (UWC)
Secretary General: Nhlonipho Nxumalo (WITS)
1st Deputy Secretary General: Jemina Mokoena (CUT)
2nd Deputy Secretary General: Martin Mnyaka (UFS)
Treasurer General: Nkosinathi Mabilane (UNISA)

Additionals:

1. Thato Masekoa (SMU)
2. Palesa Moleshiwa (UJ)
3. Billy Molatane (UJ)
4. Sinovuyo Gantsho (UWC)
5. Nombulelo Chiya (WITS)
6. Buhle Mchunu (NMU)
7. Kamogelo Zwane (NWU)
8. Olive Vilakazi (UMP)
9. Mhlengi Ngubo (MUT)
10. Olifant Nonofo (SPU)
11. Aphelele Khalakahla (UFH)
12. Vusi Mokoena (UNIVEN)
13. Tshepiso Zungu (CUT)
14. Balungile Madikizela (WSU)
15. Lungelo Bandile Mnguni (CPUT)
16. Gerswin van Niekerk (SPU)
17. Wisani Hlungwani (TUT)
18. Solomzi Zoleka (DUT)
19. Azotha Ntanzi (UKZN)
20. Nomfundo Mbatha (UNISA)

This NEC emerges as the collective voice of students across our country, ready to defend the right to activism, deepen democratic participation, and advance a transformative vision for higher education as guided by the theme of Congress.

The first NEC meeting of the South African Union of Students further appointed the following names to office barriers:
International relastions: Nomfundo Mbatha
Spokesperson: Thato Masekoa
National Organiser: Olive Vilakazi

The newly elected NEC thanks the outgone 8th NEC and wish them all the best with their future endeavours. This newly elected NEC also takes this opportune moment to thank all students across all 26 universities as represented by their SRCs in the union; we also thank them for entrusting us with this important responsibility to be their voice in the sector and we commit to be robust and never be apologetic when it comes to raising student issues sharply.

Issued by the South African Union of Students:
SAUS President: Siyabonga Moses Nkambako
SAUS Secretary General: Nhlonipho Nxumalo

For Media Inquiries contact:
SAUS Spokesperson
Thato Masekoa
(+27)79 129 5948

The South African Union of Students (SAUS) extends its revolutionary congratulations to the newly appointed Board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), as announced by the Presidency. We particularly welcome the appointment of Dr Sunshine Minenhle Myende as Chairperson and Mr. Bonga Siphesihle Makhanya as Deputy Chairperson. Their leadership marks a new dawn for youth development, and we believe that this collective brings the calibre, credibility, and clarity of purpose that the agency needs.

Dr Sunshine Myende, a scholar and activist in the field of criminology, brings with her a wealth of experience rooted in community-based approaches to social justice, school safety, and crime prevention. Her commitment to building safer environments for young people, especially in historically marginalised communities, is a critical component that the NYDA needs as it seeks to broaden its scope beyond mere funding disbursement toward tackling the deeper social crises that affect youth development.

We are equally proud of the appointment of Mr. Bonga Siphesihle Makhanya, whose journey from student activist to Deputy Chairperson of the NYDA Board is an inspiration to a generation of youth leaders. A product of the student movement, a graduate in Economic Sciences from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a passionate advocate for economic justice. His work through the South African Youth Economic Council (SAYEC), his historic R21 million fundraising effort to rescue financially excluded students, and his role in creating strategic youth participation in the energy sector through Just Energy Transition dialogues prove his unwavering commitment to progressive transformation.

Bonga’s policy acumen, his experience in youth-led economic advocacy, he enters the NYDA not merely as a leader but as an organiser of ideas and resources, someone who can bridge policy, programme, and people.

SAUS further welcomes the rich diversity and intersectionality represented in the full composition of the Board. These additional members bring important experiences and identities that will ensure that no young person is left behind:

Mx Busisiwe Nandipha Nxumalo, a human rights activist and social science graduate, brings a powerful and needed voice for LGBTQI+ youth and other marginalised communities. Their political activism and commitment to inclusivity signal that the NYDA is serious about building a youth sector that is safe, affirming, and accessible for all identities.

Dr. Wiseman Mfaniseni Mbatha, a Development Studies scholar and rural development researcher, offers deep insight into the structural inequalities facing rural youth. His presence is a necessary intervention to ensure the NYDA addresses spatial and geographic exclusion and supports youth in farming, climate resilience, and land reform.

Ms. Thembisile Precious Mahuwa, with her background in legal aid, education, and women’s rights, provides a strong voice for gender justice and the rights of young women, particularly those facing systemic discrimination in access to education and safety.

Ms. Kelly Sandra Baloyi and Mr. Sibusiso Makhathini, with their hands-on community development experience, will help root the NYDA in practical, on-the-ground solutions that are people-centered and responsive.

This Board is not only representative of the diverse tapestry of young South Africans, it is equipped with organisers who understand that youth empowerment must be political, economic, and inclusive.

For and on behalf of SAUS
Nhlonipho Nxumalo
Secretary-General
‪+27 (61) 296-2064

The South African Union of Students notes the recent restructuring within the Department of Higher Education and Training, marked by the conclusion of Minister Nkabane’s tenure and the appointment of Comrade Buti Manamela as the new Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

We welcome the appointment of Comrade Buti Manamela with a spirit of revolutionary expectation and principled engagement. As a longstanding Deputy Minister in the department and a seasoned leader of the progressive youth and student movement, he brings with him not only institutional memory but also deep political understanding of the structural challenges that continue to define our higher education system. His familiarity with the policy terrain and the lived realities of students places him in a position to act decisively and with urgency.

The sector remains engulfed in multiple interlinked crises. These include the persistent dysfunctionality of NSFAS, deepening inequalities in the resourcing of institutions, the criminalisation of student activism, the slow pace of curriculum transformation, and the overall failure to break from a model of higher education that prioritises market outcomes over social justice. These are not technical glitches but rather the product of a system that has not yet been fundamentally restructured in the interest of the working class and the poor. SAUS is clear that the appointment of a new Minister must signal more than administrative continuity. It must mark a bold and decisive turn towards a transformative agenda that centres the demands of students and repositions education as a public good.

We believe the new Minister must lead the charge in building a system that is decommodified, Afrocentric, democratic and responsive to the developmental needs of the country. We extend our best wishes to Minister Manamela as he assumes this historic responsibility. We trust that his leadership will be characterised by courage, clarity and an unshakeable commitment to the transformation of the higher education sector.

SAUS remains ready to engage in struggle and in dialogue, to partner in progress and to agitate when necessary, all in the name of building a just and equal post-school education system.

For and on behalf of SAUS
Sinqobile Nhlonipho Nxumalo
SAUS Secretary-General
‪+27 (61) 296-2064