No more students sponsored abroad

PINI BOTHOKO
Correspondent | Wednesday May 22, 2013 00:00

'This year we have screened only 55 young Batswana to be sent to study abroad. They will be leaving around September/October but next year, there will be no selection because we no longer have money,' the Department of Tertiary Education Financing (DTEF) director, Marcos Maedza told Francistown councillors yesterday.

'We are facing a huge problem of students not paying back their loans and it is hard for us to trace a majority of them, especially those working in the private sector but for those working for government, we do not have a problem,' he explained. He said the department spends P2.2 billion annually to sponsor students and by 2011, more than P6  billion had not been repaid. He said that some of those who have been sent to study abroad do not return home and do not pay back their loans.

'In 2012 we made an agreement with First National Bank (FNB) and launched a bank account allowing former students to pay their loans wherever they are but still they are not paying. It is a problem we are currently facing and need help,' said Maedza who had been summoned by councillors to explain the mandate of DTEF.

He said the loan defaults is hindering their mandate of educating the nation because the unpaid money should be used to sponsor other students. 'We have traced those who are overseas and established that we are owed P130 million. We are having difficulties in locating others to pay us because some countries do not allow us to reach them,' he said.

He said that they spend a lot of money annually to train students outside the country but they do not pay back their loans. Maedza said that DTEF is currently in negotiations with overseas universities to provide courses locally so that students can study in Botswana.

In response, councillors encouraged the department to always make sure that students understand the loan agreement so that they honour it. Robert Mosweu of Boikhutso ward said it is time something is done to recover unpaid loans to give others a chance to be sponsored. 'I do not mind if they are working overseas but they should be followed wherever they are for arrangements to be made to pay back,' he said.

Ignatius Moswaane of Monarch South said something should be done immediately because some students will be suffering for lack of sponsorship because of defaulters. Maedza said they wanted councillors to help them by passing on the message to students before they are sponsored to know that paying back loans will help to educate others.

'We are currently working with the Department of Immigration and Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) to help us locate students owing DTEF, because it is where they renew their Identity Cards and pay their taxes respectively,' he said.