Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Stellenbosch elects first black SRC leader
Youth organisations start campaigning as student body election season opens
CAMPAIGNING and electioneering for student representative councils are in full swing at Western Cape universities with Stellenbosch announcing the first black SRC leader in the university’s history.
The elections were held at Stellenbosch two weeks ago and the new chairman named yesterday. The university, facing a barrage of criticism about non- transformation, announced Axolile Diamond Qina as the new chairman.
Qina, a master’s theology student who has served on Helderberg men’s residence house committee for the past three years, said he wanted to “unite the university”.
“My vision is to unite the campus and to change the mindset of students to a human consciousness, realising we are all human. I want to get all the student bodies and societies around one table, because this needs to be an united effort.
“We are at a crossroads, not only at Stellenbosch, but in our country, and there are going to be some big challenges on the road ahead, but I am not one to shy away from a challenge,” Qina said in a statement.
University spokesman Martin Viljoen said the university’s SRC elections were not contested by political parties; candidates campaigned and stood for election as individuals.
However, Weekend Argus has established that AfriForum Youth, the ANC-aligned South African Students Congress (Sasco), the DA Student Organisation (Daso) and the Open Stellenbosch Collective were active on the campus.
“Students take part in the SRC elections as individuals although they are free to associate with specific groups or political parties,” Viljoen said.
Meanwhile, a colourful SRC election season is expected at the University of Cape Town, the University of the Western Cape and at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as political organisations campaign for the control of the highest student formation. Students go to the polls on these campuses next month.
Speaking to Weekend Argus, Daso Western Cape Constituency head Phumzile van Damme said the organisation would be contesting elections at UCT and UWC.
“Daso-CPUT is also active on the CPUT campus, however, management refuses to recognise Daso as a student society, and (so) it cannot contest SRC elections,” Van Damme said.
Daso surprised many when earlier this year it took control of the SRC at the Eastern Cape’s Fort Hare University, which was considered an ANC stronghold.
Sasco national president Ntuthuko Makhombothi said the organisation was preparing for the elections and was confident of maintaining control of UWC and CPUT while working to take over UCT.
“We have been successful at other campuses and we are confident of winning in the Western Cape.”
Ndiyakholwa Ngqulu, national president of the PACaligned Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (Pasma), said as a minority party, the organisation was often treated unfairly at the polls but “we do make it into the SRC”.
Pasma would contest elections at UCT, UWC and CPUT. The organisation was not active at Stellenbosch University, Ngqulu said.
Unlike in Gauteng where EFF Command has been vocal at Wits University and at the Tshwane University of Technology, the organisation is yet to indicate an interest in local SRC elections.