Only 13 percent of Maties students voted in SRC elections

Only around 13% of students at Stellenbosch University voted in last week’s Student Representative Council (SRC) elections.

Maties SRC safety and security officer Alchadvon Fransman said 4‚119 votes were cast in the poll‚ which ran from 21 to 28 August.

Some of the issues discussed in the run-up to the election were improved safety‚ access for disabled students and improving the relationship between the main‚ Tygerberg and Saldanha campus. The new SRC still have to compile their official manifesto.

According to 2017 figures‚ 31‚639 students are enrolled at the university. They consist of 19‚844 undergraduate‚ 10‚440 postgraduate and 1‚355 occasional students. Occasional students take certain subjects for extra credits‚ but are not enrolled for a degree. All registered students are eligible to vote.

The new SRC is: Zander Prinsloo‚ Omri Jacobsz‚ Kate Roodt‚ Ben Moolman‚ Denisha Padachey‚ Lwando Nkamisa‚ Leighton September‚ Wiann Bester and Aluwani Ramarumo.

Their term starts at the beginning of the fourth term on September 11 and ends on the last day of the third term next year.

The newly SRC elects the chairperson from their ranks. Other positions are then filled by administrative portfolio managers and various campuses and others.

Fransman said the elections went smoothly.

All SRC candidates run as independents‚ but can be linked to political parties.

“However‚ that political party may not campaign on your behalf. You have to use the posters and the amount that is allocated to you.”

Fransman said some students want political parties to represent candidates in the SRC.

He said one question that was repeatedly raised in the caucuses was: “Where do these independent candidates or SRC members get their mandate from? Usually you get your mandate from students and students are often affiliated to a certain political party.”

Students voted online. The university’s campus in Saldanha is the only one that used ballot papers.