Varsities delay SRC elections
STUDENTS at the University of Johannesburg will vote for their student representative council next year after they threatened to boycott them if they were held this week.
The students claimed that if held this week the elections were going to tamper with their studying as they are preparing to write exams next month.
Sowetan reported last week that student leaders at the institution held a meeting with the deputy vice-chancellor of internationalisation, advancement and student affairs Tinyiko Maluleke where they proposed that the elections be moved to March next year.
In a communique sent to students this week that Sowetan has seen, Maluleke said because of the delays experienced with the process of holding elections, the university management “resolved to postpone the elections”.
“The university will soon make an announcement regarding new arrangements for SRC elections,” Maluleke said in the communique.
Meanwhile, the University of Fort Hare in Eastern Cape will also hold its elections next year after the Bhisho High Court ruled the process to appoint the company that was going to administer the elections was flawed.
The South African Student Congress Organisation (Sasco) took the university to court, claiming the students’ organisations at the university were not consulted before appointing the company.
Sasco also challenged being disqualified to run for SRC elections after it made its submissions for candidates late.
President of the student parliament at the university Sibonelo Nomvalo said the parliament would restart the process of appointing a company to oversee the elections.