'This Bill would be a great initiative as it would remove the financial barriers preventing graduates from getting hold of their certification and entering the workforce,' says unemployed graduate Kamogelo Kwadi.
Listen to this article 9 min Listen to this article 9 min On 25 February 2025, Economic Freedom Fighters member of Parliament and former party Student Command president Sihle Lonzi proposed a Student Debt Relief Bill to ease the financial burden on students.
Gazetted for public comment, the Bill aims to tackle the payment of university debts, a move widely welcomed by graduates struggling with outstanding fees.
Student Debt Relief Bill
The Bill seeks to create a Student Debt Relief Fund. In terms of the draft Bill, students may apply to the fund to have their university debt paid off if they pass their academics, allowing them to graduate or receive their qualifications.
Daily Maverick spoke to Lonzi, who outlined how he and the EFF began to construct the Bill and why it was needed.
"We wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly on 26 November 2024 to inform her of our intention to introduce a student debt cancellation Bill. We then did a back and forth with Parliament for about three months or so because they wanted to test its legality, constitutionality ... and the one main thing is to clear student debt. The argument we make...
