In a critical ruling, the court has dismissed Ernest Khosa’s bid to silence OUTA, confirming that our publication of a whistleblower-leaked investigative report was lawful and in the public interest.

Here’s what happened: in August 2023, OUTA released a detailed report titled Direct Payments Chaos: Who Was Responsible? exposing how NSFAS irregularly awarded multimillion-rand contracts to four service providers. The report implicated both Minister Blade Nzimande and NSFAS Board Chairperson Ernest Khosa, showing clear links to key political players and possible conflicts of interest.

Instead of addressing the findings, Khosa took OUTA to court to try and block public access to the report.

Now, almost a year later, the court has ruled in our favour, affirming OUTA’s right to publish verified whistleblower information that serves the public good.

This isn’t just a win for us - it’s a win for transparency, whistleblowers, and every student trying to access fair and functional funding.

Read the full story here.