February,20 2017.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Thabi Madiba.

Making headlines:
NSFAS to fund over 400 000 students for 2017
Mugabe says he is people's choice for 2018 election
And, Fedusa 'dismayed' at Molefe's MP nomination

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has approved over 400 000 applications for funding for the 2017 academic year.

NSFAS chairperson Sizwe Nxasana said they had approved a total of 309 788 students for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training, but would add 100 000 more.

Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande announced that the NSFAS funding budget for 2017 would be R15-billion.

Zimbabwe's people and the ruling ZANU-PF party see no viable alternative candidate to President Robert Mugabe for general elections in 2018, state media quoted him as saying on Sunday.

Mugabe has been in power in the southern African country since 1980 and in December his party confirmed him as its candidate for the next presidential election expected in mid-2018, when he will be 94.

The Federation of Unions of South Africa has joined in the public outcry over the appointment of former Eskom Chief Brian Molefe to Parliament.

In statement released on Sunday, the union said it was "dismayed’" that Molefe, who was linked to the controversial Gupta family in former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s State of Capture Report, has been nominated to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament.

His nomination was announced on Friday. City Press reported that an ANC MP, Abram Mudau, was pushed to resign from Parliament so that Molefe could come in as a replacement.

Also making headlines:
Gauteng ANC caucus to push for land expropriation
And, Cope says rather use the money for people, not for Jacob Zuma’s statue

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today