The government intends looking at converting student loans from banks into bursaries, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu says
“We will also look at students who have received loans from other institutions,” he said in a radio interview on SAfm.
His comments follow President Jacob Zuma’s annual January 8 Statement during the ANC’s 99th anniversary celebrations at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Zuma announced in his speech on Saturday that students at public universities in their final year — who had received loans only from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme — would have these converted into bursaries, but only if they passed.
“This will also cover their living expenses... If bursaries need to be expanded we will listen to views,” Mthembu said.
He said on a broader front, education, health and land reform would be made government priorities. “It will be structured in the ANC lekgotla this year...I don’t know why people are saying what’s being said is not new... these are new initiatives.”
On jobs and social grants, Mthembu agreed there was a need for a social partnership between the government, labour and business. The government planned on following the New Growth Path, concentrating on various sectors of the economy.
“The ideal is to remove people from social grants when they are unemployed...[but] you cannot offload people from grants when they are unemployed or unemployable. If we didn’t have the grants, we will not be stable because learners won’t be able to go to schools.
“This is not an ANC problem alone, it’s a country problem,” he said.
“We are in alliance because we agree with everything in the Freedom Charter... in this way we are not cheese and chalk,” he said on reported factions within the tripartite alliance, adding that differences should not be aired in public. “Differ within.”
Mthembu also responded to a caller’s question on ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema’s financial affairs, saying:
“Julius is not super rich, he earns a salary [in the ANC] and he might have a business here and there, but he’s not super rich. He is struggling like everyone else.”
On Saturday Malema said the only way to free the country from poverty was by placing assets such as mines in the hands of the state.
“Nationalisation is the solution to the problems we are facing,” he said.
Malema took aim at big business, especially white business owners. “We cannot accept the economy being in the control of white males.”
From loans to bursaries: ANC
The government intends looking at converting student loans from banks into bursaries, ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu says
“We will also look at students who have received loans from other institutions,” he said in a radio interview on SAfm.
His comments follow President Jacob Zuma’s annual January 8 Statement during the ANC’s 99th anniversary celebrations at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Zuma announced in his speech on Saturday that students at public universities in their final year — who had received loans only from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme — would have these converted into bursaries, but only if they passed.
“This will also cover their living expenses... If bursaries need to be expanded we will listen to views,” Mthembu said.
He said on a broader front, education, health and land reform would be made government priorities. “It will be structured in the ANC lekgotla this year...I don’t know why people are saying what’s being said is not new... these are new initiatives.”
On jobs and social grants, Mthembu agreed there was a need for a social partnership between the government, labour and business. The government planned on following the New Growth Path, concentrating on various sectors of the economy.
“The ideal is to remove people from social grants when they are unemployed...[but] you cannot offload people from grants when they are unemployed or unemployable. If we didn’t have the grants, we will not be stable because learners won’t be able to go to schools.
“This is not an ANC problem alone, it’s a country problem,” he said.
“We are in alliance because we agree with everything in the Freedom Charter... in this way we are not cheese and chalk,” he said on reported factions within the tripartite alliance, adding that differences should not be aired in public. “Differ within.”
Mthembu also responded to a caller’s question on ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema’s financial affairs, saying:
“Julius is not super rich, he earns a salary [in the ANC] and he might have a business here and there, but he’s not super rich. He is struggling like everyone else.”
On Saturday Malema said the only way to free the country from poverty was by placing assets such as mines in the hands of the state.
“Nationalisation is the solution to the problems we are facing,” he said.
Malema took aim at big business, especially white business owners. “We cannot accept the economy being in the control of white males.”
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