'I'm not going to resign,' says Nzimande amid NSFAS corruption allegations
Last week the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse leaked a series of recordings alleging there's a corruption scheme operating within the Higher Education Department and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.
FILE: Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation, Blade Nzimande, briefing the media on 30 June 2021. Picture: Boikhutso Ntsoko/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande says he won't be resigning over corruption allegations against him.
Nzimande, the South African Communist Party, and National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board chair Ernest Khosa are accused of receiving bribes worth millions of rands from NSFAS service providers.
Last week the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) leaked a series of recordings alleging there's a corruption scheme operating within the Higher Education Department and NSFAS.
Calls for the president to fire Nzimande are mounting.
READ: Outa to escalate NSFAS corruption allegations
However, the minister says stepping down from his position is the last thing on his mind: "I'm not going to resign...why should I resign? Someone mentioned my name. Minister's names are dropped everywhere...almost all the time."
Nzimande says he's planning to meet with the president to share his side of the story.
The Democratic Alliance has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Nzimande and for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe the allegations.
Nzimande says he's willing to cooperate with any investigation against him following the corruption allegations.
The minister has, however, rubbished the corruption claims - adding that he'll be taking legal action against OUTA.
Nzimande says he has nothing to hide: “I don’t have a problem with the SIU if it’s given a proper proclamation to investigate whatever wants to investigate. I have no problems.”