By Thapelo Molefe
The Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) has called for a fundamental overhaul of the higher education funding system, warning that clearing student debt without addressing its root causes will leave more young people struggling to access their qualifications.
The call comes after the Banking Sector Education and Training Authority (BANKSETA) settled R13.9 million in outstanding debt owed by 253 graduates from the Central University of Technology (CUT), allowing them to access qualifications they had earned but could not obtain because of unpaid fees.
YCLSA Interim National Secretary Jan Nabane welcomed the intervention, but said it was not a lasting solution to a student debt crisis that stood at…