The new Stellenbosch University (SU) 2021/2022 Student Representative Council (SRC) was recently announced, after an election that saw a decline in voter turnout from the previous year.
The new SRC was announced during an official Microsoft Teams meeting held by Maties Elections on 6 September.
The nine students who will serve on the 2021/2022 SRC are: Precious Nhamo, Alysa-Abby Kekana, Unathi Ngumbela, Viwe Kobokana, Almé Engelbrecht, Ilan Meintjes, Philip Visagé, Takadiqa Chipfumbu and Chris Briel.
“It is quite an honour to have been elected. It is also incredibly rewarding with all the effort put into caucusing,” said Almé Engelbrecht, one of the newly elected SRC members. “Along with that, I am also very excited to serve as an elected member and vote on serious matters discussed in meetings.”
Almé Engelbrecht, a newly elected member of the Stellenbosch University Student Representative Council. Engelbrecht told MatieMedia that she hopes to serve as secretary-general of the SRC. PHOTO: Supplied/Almé Engelbrecht
Decline in voter turnout
Overall, 2 574 votes were cast during the 2021 SRC election, which is lower than the previous year’s number of votes, according to Francesca Visagé, the election convener for the SRC elections. A total of 3 543 people voted in the 2020 SRC election, according to an Instagram post by Matie Elections on 25 August 2020.
“Student participation is down from previous years and we note this with concern. Personally, I do think the uncertainty of this year and the stress of the hybrid class system may have affected students’ ability to participate,” said Francesca.
Nhamo received the most votes at 1 270, while Kekana followed closely with 1 252 votes, according to the announcement during the official Teams meeting.
The Stellenbosch University Student Representative Council offices in the Neelsie Student Centre. The election for the new SRC was held online, and this is cited as a possible reason for the decline in votes from last year’s election, according to Francesca Visagé, the election convener for the SRC elections. PHOTO: Wessel Krige
Election controversies
The announcement of the new SRC comes after one of the candidates, Zizo Vokwana, was disqualified from the elections for allegedly contravening the Disciplinary Code for Students.
Vokwana told MatieMedia that she wishes the new members of the SRC well. “I am so happy for the people who made it. I am so proud of Precious, Unathi and Abby. We’ve worked throughout this campaign very well. I’m very happy for everyone, and I’m not bitter or anything…I’m very excited for them,” she said.
According to Philip, there were allegations of conflict-of-interest and nepotism levelled against him and his sister, Francesca. He denied these allegations.
“During the four years that we have been at this institution, we have been moving in the same leadership circles throughout. In all these spaces, we have never acted in any way or form that could be construed as nepotistic,” said Philip.
The concerns about a possible conflict of interest are also unfounded, as Francesca does not have the power to benefit specific candidates, according to Philip.
“The election convenor has no discretionary powers or substantive decision-making powers that are capable of benefiting any candidate above another,” said Philip. “Therefore, even if there was a supposed interest for Francesca to benefit me, she does not have the powers to do so within the framework that she functions in.”
Lukhanyo Ngamlana, chairperson of the Stellenbosch University Student Parliament, addresses the potential conflict of interest during the 2021/2022 Student Representative Council election, and urges students to take any complaints to the student courts.
The new SRC is scheduled to take office at the beginning of the fourth term, according to Francesca. The election of the new chairperson and vice-chairperson is scheduled to take place in the third week of September, she said.
Students who had any complaints about the election, can make a case at the student courts, said Lukhanyo Ngamlana, chairperson of the SU Student Parliament.
*This article has been updated on 10 September 2021 at 10:00. The paragraph “Concerns were also raised over Philip Visagé’s participation in the election, due to his sister’s position as election convener, according to Lukhanyo Ngamlana, chairperson of the SU Student Parliament. There was concern about a possible conflict of interest, according to Ngamlana” was removed, because it was being perceived as if Ngamlana brought the concern to the media, which he did not, it was merely brought to him and he highlighted the channels that should be followed for students who might have a concern.