The Student Representative Council plays a vital role in addressing issues affecting students in institutions of higher learning across the country. Amongst many of their mandates, they sit in the institution’s council comprised of the senate, council and the principal. The Higher Education Act (Act no. 101 of 1997) stipulates that the establishment and composition, manner of election, term of office, functions and privileges of the SRC of a public higher education institution must be determined by the institutional statute. SRC elections are held annually and students can vote for an organisation or independent candidate of their choice.
The University of Johannesburg students embarked on 2013 annual SRC elections. The leadership race was highly contested across all four campuses and this was viewed by many students as a true reflection of democracy. The Democratic Alliance Student Organisation, South African Student Congress and the African National Congress Youth League were amongst organisations contesting SRC.
The three weeks prior to elections comprised of intense campaigns and lobbying both in campus and external accommodations. According to Mike Sathekge who was deployed by the Independent Electoral Commission to oversee the election process, candidates signed the electoral conduct in order to pledge for free and fair elections. The IEC confirmed that over 5000 students voted in the Auckland Park Kingsway campus alone and it’s a very low turnout when compared to other institutions said Sathekge.
The ANCYL won all 12 seats in APK while in other 3 campuses SASCO claimed their uncontested victory. The student governance director Godfrey Helani welcomed the results and deemed them fair.
No comments:
Post a Comment