Maseru, Aug. 14 — Chairperson of Section 2, Mr Boloetse, has written to the National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS), calling for urgent action to address concerns surrounding student sponsorship.
The letter, submitted ahead of a meeting between Section 2 and NMDS scheduled for Friday, calls on the Secretariat to sponsor students regardless of outstanding bursary debts owed by their parents.
Mr. Boloetse said it was unfair to link students’ educational opportunities to debts incurred by their parents, particularly where the debts existed before the students were born.
He said unemployment had made it difficult for some parents to repay their loans, but this should not prevent their children from receiving sponsorship to pursue their chosen studies.
Mr. Boloetse also raised concerns about the functionality of the Bokamoso E-Portal, saying some students had reported that the system appeared to provide only a registration option when applying for sponsorship.
He proposed that the portal be made data-free to allow all prospective applicants to access it, noting that many applicants were recent school leavers who might not have the financial means to purchase mobile data.
He further criticised what he described as inadequate public awareness about the new Bokamoso E-Portal, saying some students were unaware that the application process involved several steps and mistakenly believed that registration alone was sufficient.
Mr. Boloetse urged NMDS to engage more with the public, including visiting schools regularly to educate students about sponsorship requirements and how to access and use the portal.
He said relying mainly on social media platforms was not sufficient because not everyone had access to Facebook or regularly followed the NMDS page.
He also called on the Secretariat to ensure that updated information was disseminated in all districts so that students, particularly those in rural areas, could be informed about changes and improvements in the sponsorship system.
Mr. Boloetse said Section 2 would also seek clarification on the criteria used to determine merit and prioritise students for sponsorship.
He said some students were confused by cases where applicants with lower grades appeared to have received sponsorship while others with higher grades were not successful.
Mr Boloetse said Section 2 expected the issues to be addressed following Friday’s meeting, adding that if no satisfactory resolution was reached, the organisation would consider taking legal action against NMDS.
Meanwhile, NMDS Public Relations Officer Ms. Nteboheleng Mosehle confirmed that the Secretariat had received the letter from Section 2.
He said the two parties were yet to meet, with the meeting scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21.
Ends/MCM
