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26 Januarie ‘13
News
What happened to our SRC? DANIELLE PETTERSON A Temporary Student Committee (TSC) has taken the place of the Student Representative Council (SRC) until a SRC can be elected. This follows a failure to complete a review of the constitution in 2012 as well as a ruling by the Independent Monitoring Body (IMB). “Previous governance decisions as well as shortcomings identified in the constitution required that [it be] reviewed in 2012. The review process could not be concluded in time and elections proceeded on an imperfect version of the constitution, and on the understanding that the review processes would continue and be concluded in 2013,” the university told Perdeby. However, a number of procedural irregularities in the run-up to the elections resulted in the IMB ruling on 11 October 2012 that continuing with the SRC elections would be procedurally unfair. According to university management, the fact that this ruling took place just before the start of examinations meant that it was not possible to restart the election process before the end of the year. The elections will start afresh in 2013 once the constitution review process has been finalised. The statute of the university provides for student interests by a student-elected SRC. In the absence of an SRC, the Constitution for Student Governance prescribes that a TSC be appointed for the day-to-day administration of student governance. The TSC must be made up of between nine and fifteen student leaders that are diverse in terms of faculty, constituency, gender and race. Half of these candidates must have previously served on the SRC or Student Parliament.
2013 TSC Back row: (from left) Jordan Griffiths, Wayne Renkin, Luyolo Dulaze, Enwee Human, Wanga Mbasa, Nanika Coetzee, Dr Willem Jorissen Middle row: (from left) Mmathapelo Lehutso, Gugulethu Mahlangu, Grace Soko Front row: (from left) Nomsa Nhlangulela, Christopher Pappas, Khutso Mogotsi All representatives must also meet the normal minimum academic and discipline requirements set for student governance. “Due processes were followed to ensure broad representation in the composition of the TSC,”
Message from the Vice-Chancellor
To all our new students, Welcome to the University of Pretoria. The start of an academic year is an exciting time, especially at Tuks, a university renowned for its academic excellence and its active student life. For new students university life means greater independence compared to school. As you familiarise yourself with UP’s full range of services and facilities, it is important that you make choices that will lead to your academic success. The choices and actions you make today shape your future. Never hesitate to ask for help – the university offers a full array of services to assist and support you. The Department of Student Affairs, in particular, provides services to students ranging from counselling to leadership
training. We take pride in the success of our graduates and this means that we are committed to ensuring that you do your best. Apart from academic success, the university also strives to cultivate well-rounded citizens who have good leadership skills. UP attracts students from communities all across South Africa and from many international destinations. We are a dynamic, diverse campus community united in our commitment to quality, relevance, diversity, and sustainability. The many community engagement projects we support as well as the many sporting and cultural activities we offer at the university will give you opportunities to expand your social networks, explore new ideas and develop your leadership potential. Choosing to enrol at UP is one of the best decisions you have made – we are one of South Africa’s leading universities that enjoys widespread international recognition. UP is known for attracting talented staff and students and many of our graduates have distinguished themselves as leaders and innovators in business, in the public sector and in their communities. I urge you to become an active, engaged learner who takes responsibility for your learning and development. Welcome to the University of Pretoria. Your future begins today; aim higher, work hard, enable your tomorrow. Prof Cheryl de la Rey Vice-Chancellor and Principal Photo provided
UP management told Perdeby. The TSC became operational on 17 January this year. “The absence of an election deprives students of the right to vote, to be represented and to have a say in the highest decision-making bodies of UP,”
said AfriForum Youth UP Chairperson Barend Taute. According to Taute, this was the third unsuccessful SRC election held in the last four years. He believes that UP is acting in contradiction to its constitution as well as to the National Higher Education Act. According to DASO Tuks Branch Leader Thorne Godinho, the postponement of elections and implementation of a TSC is procedurally fair. “As campaigning began, DASO lodged complaints with the university concerning the fact that both AfriForum Youth and COPE were breaking the election rules. We were concerned because the university seemed unable to enforce its own election rules, and although we were not supporters of the strict election rules, DASO still believes that many of those rules existed to ensure an equal playing field,” said Godinho. He added that DASO has championed solutions to the election crisis which included recruiting the national IEC to run the elections, electronic voting and access to online candidate videos, but these were ignored. Thabo Mdlalose, COPE@Tuks Chairperson said, “Of course a TSC is not as desirable as an SRC, however, with all the irregularities which occurred in the run-up to the elections, a TSC is the only option moving forward. COPE@ Tuks congratulates all those who form part of the structure and hopes UP’s Constitution for Student Governance is completed in time for the 2013 elections.” SASCO and PASMA failed to comment. Visit www.perdeby.co.za for a complete list of TSC memebrs. Photo: Brad Donald
The ins and outs of Student Parliament STEPHANIE VAN DER PLANK With orientation, RAG and Hatfield Square providing adequate distraction, student politics may not be a top priority when starting university. However, it is important to have an understanding of how Student Parliament functions. With this knowledge you can ensure your rights and best interests are properly looked after. The political system at Tuks aims to provide students with the opportunity to be part of decisionmaking processes while monitoring student policy. The university’s two main political structures are Student Parliament and the Student Representative Council (SRC). Together, these structures represent the student body of UP and have certain governing responsibilities pertaining to student affairs. The Constitution for Student Governance defines Student Parliament as being “the representative body to which the SRC is accountable”. The SRC is responsible for carrying out the agenda set forward by Student Parliament dealing with dayto-day student governance. The SRC is also subject to the authority of the University Council and other relevant university authorities. Members of Student Parliament are elected on a constituency basis. The three main constituencies are faculties, residences and societies. The clause regarding the day house constituency was changed last year and subsequently contested by some organisations. Faculty candidates can only represent the faculty to which they are registered, and the same applies to society members. Residence candidates, including day house candidates, are chosen in an independent election where members of the house committees elect parliament members. All students can participate in the elections and
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run for candidacy. However, there are prerequisites for potential parliament members: an average of at least 55% must have been attained in the semester before elections and the candidate may not have committed any transgressions against the university’s code of conduct. Student Parliament members are elected from the aforementioned constituencies. Between 15 and 21 members of Student Parliament are elected to the SRC. Of these, 40% must be male and 40% must be female. These elected members vacate their seats in Student Parliament immediately after the election of the SRC. The remaining members then constitute Student Parliament. SRC members are assigned specific portfolios and work within these portfolios for the duration of their term. Students can communicate with Student Parliament through the SRC, whose offices can be found in Roosmaryn on Hatfield campus. The SRC may advise the university authorities on all issues including institutional policy affecting students. According to the constitution, every registered student has the right to vote in elections for Student Parliament or any other student governance structure. Student Parliament acts as the voice of the student body in general. Members of parliament should represent the widest possible variety of views within the student body. Therefore, if any students have grievances regarding university practices or believe their rights are not being respected and represented, they should not hesitate to contact the SRC and voice their opinions. SRC members can be identified by their striped blazers in the university’s colours.