Die Matie - 10 Aug 16

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DieMATIE WOENSDAG 10 AUGUSTUS 2016 | GR ATIS

VYF-EN-SEWENTIGSTE JAARGANG | NO 5

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THE CIRCUS CONTINUES Eight candidates were suspended from this year’s SRC election pending an investigation into their campaigning activities.

AfriForum determined to stand up for student rights

Confusion surrounding SRC election HAYLEY GRAMMER & EUGENIE GREGAN

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here is still no clarity on when this year’s Student Representative Council (SRc) elections will resume. Elections were postponed “until further notice” last week, after a ruling by the Student Court found eight members guilty of breaking certain election rules. The candidature of Bernard Pieters, Ashwin Maloy, Thea Bester, Francois Henning, Jacobus Maass, Netanje Van Niekerk, Roderick Leonard and Selmie Crous was suspended from the election pending a full investigation into irregularities. The candidates are all members of AfriForum. The court found there were irregularities with the eight members’ relating to campaign posters, electioneering, monetary limits and attendance of caucuses. AfriForum was asked to remove all election posters not satisfying the requirements. Pieters said that AfriForum complied and removed all election

posters not satisfying the requirements from campus. “The SRc election process have been postponed pending an investigation, however we look forward to the process being completed, especially after the positive report the convener filed yesterday to the student court,” he said. According to the Student Constitution, candidates may campaign in any way that doesn’t violate the law, university rules, the Constitution, SRc regulations or the rules laid down by the Election Convenor. The Constitution further states that the Election Convenor must place a limit on the monetary amount that candidates can spend on their campaigns. The Election Convenor must also lay down procedures and rules for the enforcement of that limitation. If a candidate, the helpers or supporters of a candidate violate this limit, the Election Convenor may order the candidate to remove or

destroy election material, abandon the activities in question or, where the conduct is detrimental to other candidates, declare the candidature of the candidate invalid. The monetary limit for this year was set on R650. However, the Student Court was informed that Afriforum’s members spent over R2800. Roderick Leonard, an AfriForum candidate, never had chance to put up his posters due to receiving an email from management stating his exclusion from the election process. According to Pieters, when asked about the decision management failed to respond. “We have asked for clarity, but have received no answers to date, although it has been promised on various occasions. “It is quite unsettling that management are able to make such arbitrary decisions, without a reason given. “Thus we are still engaged with them, trying to get answers to these questions but will approach the high

court if they persist to exclude Mr Leonard.” AfriForum appealed the decision last Tuesday. The Appeal Court, consisting of two professors from the faculty of law, rejected the appeal last Thursday because the final order has not yet been issued. “If Stellenbosch University (SU) succeeds in excluding our candidates, no SRc election will take place. The remaining candidates (a lot of them EFF and Open Stellenbosch) will be automatically elected as SRc members. This means that all SU students will have been deprived of their right to choose their SRc. “We are serious about getting an SRc elected that would stand up for the rights of all students. “What happened in the past few weeks has provided AfriForum with an unexpected opportunity to demonstrate our resolve to do so,” said Pieters. When contacted, Election Convenor Cal Links failed to respond.

HIGHLITES

» NEWS Diamond and James talks about their SRC term

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»

DAG & NAG Francois gesels oor Baba van Coke

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GORREL IS BACK

And not impressed wirh sêr or this year’s SRC hopefuls

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SPORT

Exposed: Are you ready, 15 August?

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Die Matie - 10 Aug 16 by Die Matie - Issuu