Despite returning to in-person caucuses for the first time in three years, the voter turnout for the recent general elections of the Stellenbosch University (SU) Student Representative Council (SRC) was “disappointing”.
This is according to Yanga Keva, chief electoral officer and chairperson of the Electoral Commission for SU’s SRC.
Despite having 44 more voters than in the 2021 elections, the electoral commission received 2 618 votes out of over 26 000 eligible student voters, according to Keva.
That is a voter turnout of 8.83%, said Keva at the announcement of the new SRC members on 15 August.
The announcement was made at the SU library auditorium, where the ex-officio members of the SRC, including nine generally elected members, who are elected by SU students, were announced.
The electoral commission knew from July onwards that electoral participation in student elections was going to be at an “all time low”, said Yanga Keva, chief electoral officer and chairperson of the Electoral Commission of the Student Representative Council. Keva said that in order to boost participation in elections, a voting awareness campaign was launched by the Electoral Commission. “I hope that we [Stellenbosch University] continue to have voting awareness campaigns in the future,” he said. GRAPHIC: Na’ilah Ebrahim
The results are in
The SRC consists of 16 elected members, said Keva.
Phiwokuhle Qabaka, who received the highest number of votes from student voters, told MatieMedia that she was in “disbelief” following the announcement. “I am glad that the students see that I am someone who genuinely works hard for them and that I will be a good asset to the SRC,” she stated.
Getting elected was unexpected, said William Sezoe, another newly-elected member of the SRC. “I think it’s going to be an interesting journey,” he said.
“I really hope that the [SRC] term goes well for them,” said Viwe Kobokana, outgoing SRC chairperson.
Philip Visage, vice-chairperson of the outgoing SRC, wished the new SRC members “all the best”. He told MatieMedia that he hopes they will speak to current SRC members in order to “build some institutional knowledge”.
The new members of Stellenbosch University’s incoming Student Representative Council were announced on 15 August. The announcement included ex-officio members and the nine members who were generally elected by students. Pictured above, from left to right, are the nine members: Masilo Silokazi, Emma Bowes, chairperson of the Academic Affairs Council, Aphiwe Sithole, Sabrina Disela, chairperson of the Senior Prim Committee, Phiwokuhle Qabaka, Queen Majikijela, Banzi Bottoman, Prince Qenga and William Sezoe. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
‘Increased engagement’
One of the positive results from the student elections was the increase in in-person engagement and in-person turnout from students, according to Keva.
“I am hopeful that the level of engagement we saw at the in-person caucuses will become a growing trend and, with time, we are going to see more quality participation,” said Keva.
The voter turnout is indicative of a lack of the awareness and visibility of the SRC within the student body, said Emma Bowes, newly-elected chairperson of the Academic Affairs Council at SU and new member of the SRC.
“One of the key focus points [we will have as an SRC] is expanding our visibility and our communication, especially student concerns and how we are addressing them,” said Sezoe.
Stellenbosch University (SU)students gathered at the library auditorium for the announcement of the new members of the university’s incoming Student Representative Council (SRC). Nonkuluseko Ndaba, SU student and attendee at the event, said that she hopes the new SRC will “amplify the voices of the students”. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim