Cape Town – National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) board chairperson Dr Karen Stander has resigned with immediate effect, citing a hostile and unsafe governance environment at the institution.
In her resignation letter to Buti Manamela, the minister of higher education, Stander stated that “the environment within which the board has operated has become increasingly toxic, characterised by bullying, intimidation, racism and hostility.”
She further claimed that the situation had reached her home, adding that “in recent months, this hostility has also extended beyond the professional realm, creating a real and present danger to the safety and well-being of my family.”
Manamela acknowledged receipt of Stander’s resignation letter and said it contained “serious allegations regarding the governance environment at NSFAS, including claims of bullying, intimidation, racism and threats to personal safety.” He confirmed that he intends to meet with her “directly and in detail” to examine the issues raised.
Minister @ButiManamela responds to the resignation of NSFAS Board Chairperson, Doctor Karen Stander@myNSFAS#MyNSFAS#NSFAS2025 #HigherEducationMatters#HigherEducation pic.twitter.com/7CEjABfzai
— HigherEducationZA (@HigherEduGovZA) November 3, 2025
Stander’s departure comes less than a year after her appointment and during a period of mounting scrutiny over NSFAS’s governance and operational capacity. In August 2025 she had warned the board faced “leadership instability spanning nearly a decade” and a lack of integration in its ICT systems that exposed the organisation to “potentially disastrous consequences.”
The minister has said that the scheduled meeting of the full NSFAS board for 5 November will still continue as planned, despite the leadership disruption. He stressed that the scheme, which supports hundreds of thousands of students from low-income backgrounds, “must operate in a manner that is ethical, transparent and accountable.”
No successor to Stander has yet been named, and the board’s ability to carry through on reforms at NSFAS is now under renewed pressure as students and stakeholders await clarity on the future of the scheme.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
