Nokwanda Khumalo, President General.
According to Dr Gugulethu Xaba, the Director of Student Governance and Leadership Development (SGLD), the elections results trumped those at any other university in the country; “This year, about 53.2% of students voted, compared to last year’s 49.77%. Students went to the polls online, voting for a party of their choice as well as the Student Faculty Council,” said Xaba.
Nokwanda Khumalo, President General, commended the success of online voting, adding she was happy that students voted, “Online voting is really working for us. In the past students often did not vote because they had to go to campus to participate in the process. But the 4IR (fourth industrial revolution) and the move to technology, really made things easier,” said Khumalo.
Remembrance Molokome, third-year Journalism student, said she did not vote. In her view the parties who stand in the elections and who should represent the students, don’t deliver on the promises they make, “I don’t see any reason to vote. These people don’t deliver or show us any results. They just give theories, but no actions at all,” she added.
Israel Maphala, student in National Diploma in Megatronics Engineering, on the other hand, said he voted because he wants structures in place that can be trusted to tend to the issues of students. “I voted for candidates who will represent us effectively, even at management level, whenever we have any problems,” said Maphala.
During the live announcement of the results, Dr Shadrack Nthangeni, Executive Director: Student Affairs and Extracurricular Development (SAED), said the SRC elections was a significant event. He commended the behaviour of structures and student bodies during the election period; “During the last three days of the election campaign, no reports of uncivil behaviour or political intolerance were reported to my office. I therefore urge students to continue with this commendable behaviour, even post the announcement of the preliminary results,” concluded Nthangeni.
- Institutionally, SASCO received a total of 12128 votes from all campuses and were allocated 3 seats.
- EFFSC received a total of 8804 votes and were allocated 2 seats.
- The SCO came third, with a total of 4925 votes, earning one seat.
- PASMA was last with 2447 votes in total and received 1 seat.