R100bn was stolen from free higher education funds, says Lindiwe Sisulu

ANC presidential candidate Lindiwe Sisulu says free higher education is possible in South Africa, but only if the state’s funds stop being stolen.

She was delivering a speech at the University of Cape Town on Thursday as part of her campaign on free education.

Her campaign manifesto on free education is based on a blueprint developed by a ministerial task team (MTT) headed by National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) to fund an estimated 500 000 poor and so-called missing-middle students.

Sisulu asserted that a staggering amount of money was looted from the country’s coffers.

“The ministerial task team that was set up estimated that the cost of free education would be R42 billion. We have calculated the cost of money stolen over three years which is R100 billion.

“The objective of her campaign is to provide decolonised education to the youth, which is something that was not possible during the apartheid era. However, free higher education cannot occur overnight therefore it will be slowly implemented,” added Sisulu.

“If we start with the poorest of the poor, we’ll put aside R19 billion per year. This is well within our means as government.”

//