The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) suspended its executive officer Steven Zwane with immediate effect on Monday evening.

“The suspension follows allegations of maladministration against Mr Zwane. To ensure fairness and allow the process to proceed uninhibited‚ Mr Zwane has been relieved from his duties pending the outcome of the investigation‚” NSFAS spokesperson Kagisho Mamabolo said.

Zwane's suspension comes after the resignation of the Sizwe Nxasana who was the chairperson of the financial aid scheme. These events surface at a time when the scheme is under a lot of pressure.

Last month Minister of Higher Education and Training Naledi Pandor asked the applications for 2019 to be paused so as to clear the 2017/2018 backlog.

She also announced last week that the board of the scheme has been dissolved and the Administrator Randall Carolissen will effectively take over.

The statement added that administrator Randall Carolissen was currently reviewing governance at NSFAS.

“This is in line with the Ministerial mandate to oversee the management‚ governance‚ and administration of the entity. This includes all necessary forensic and other investigations currently underway.”