EXPLAINER | Where 10 stolen laptops destined for schools actually went

A criminal case has been opened against a formerNational Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas)board member after employees accused the person of allegedly stealing laptops that had been earmarked forunder-resourced schoolsin the Eastern Cape. According to Nsfas, thelaptopsformed part of an Eastern Cape donation drive held in March 2026, during which 30 laptops were allocated to six high schools, with each school expected to receive five laptops for communal use. However, only 20 laptops allegedly reached the intended beneficiaries, while 10 were allegedly kept by the former board member who led the donation delegation.

“The discrepancy only emerged slightly later. Initially, it appeared as if it was a deferred delivery,” Mathebula toldSowetan. “But it soon became clear that the intention was never to hand them to the underprivileged children in the first place.

The opening of the case was the last resort,” he said. In a statement issued on Thursday, Mathebula praised Nsfas employees for opening the criminal case, describing it as a sign that staff were reclaiming the institution from misconduct. Asked why employees, rather than the institution itself, laid the charges, Mathebula said the decision reflected growing confidence among staff to report wrongdoing.